Job 24

King James Version

Full text for Job Chapter 24

1¶ Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

2[Some] remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed [thereof].

3They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

4They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

5Behold, [as] wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness [yieldeth] food for them [and] for [their] children.

6They reap [every one] his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.

7They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that [they have] no covering in the cold.

8They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

9They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.

10They cause [him] to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf [from] the hungry;

11[Which] make oil within their walls, [and] tread [their] winepresses, and suffer thirst.

12Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly [to them].

13¶ They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

14The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

15The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth [his] face.

16In the dark they dig through houses, [which] they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.

17For the morning [is] to them even as the shadow of death: if [one] know [them, they are in] the terrors of the shadow of death.

18¶ He [is] swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

19Drought and heat consume the snow waters: [so doth] the grave [those which] have sinned.

20The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

21He evil entreateth the barren [that] beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

22He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.

23[Though] it be given him [to be] in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes [are] upon their ways.

24They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all [other], and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

25And if [it be] not [so] now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Job begins by questioning why the Almighty does not clearly manifest His judgment against the wicked, despite knowing all times. He then vividly describes the pervasive injustices committed by the ungodly, who oppress the poor, fatherless, and widows, and operate in darkness to conceal their deeds. Job concludes by asserting that while these wicked may prosper briefly, their ultimate end is swift destruction and oblivion, challenging anyone to refute his observations.

Medium Summary

Job opens by lamenting that God's times of judgment are not evident to those who know Him, observing that the wicked seem to act with impunity. He details numerous acts of oppression: removing landmarks, stealing from the fatherless and widows, and exploiting the poor who are forced to scavenge for survival. These oppressors cause the needy to suffer nakedness, hunger, and lack of shelter, while the cries of the wounded go unheeded by God. Job further describes those who rebel against the light, preferring darkness for their murderous, adulterous, and thieving activities, viewing the morning as a terror. Despite their apparent success, Job contends that their prosperity is fleeting, comparing them to swift waters whose portion is cursed. He asserts that they are eventually consumed by the grave, forgotten, and cut off like withered corn, challenging any who would deny this ultimate fate.

Long Summary

Job initiates his discourse by posing a profound question to the Almighty, asking why the times of divine judgment are not openly revealed to those who acknowledge Him, given that God is aware of all things. He then proceeds to paint a stark picture of the rampant injustice prevalent in the world. Job describes how the wicked brazenly transgress moral and legal boundaries, removing ancient landmarks, violently seizing flocks, and exploiting the most vulnerable members of society, such as the fatherless and widows, by taking their animals as pledges. The poor and needy are systematically marginalized, forced into a desperate existence akin to wild asses in the wilderness, constantly seeking sustenance. They are made to labor for the wicked, reaping corn and treading winepresses, yet suffer from hunger and thirst themselves. The oppressors leave the naked without clothing or shelter, exposing them to the harsh elements, and even pluck the fatherless from their mothers' breasts for pledges. Job notes the groans of the city's wounded, yet observes that God does not immediately impute folly to these perpetrators. He further characterizes these individuals as rebels against the light, deliberately shunning its ways and paths. Murderers rise with the dawn to kill the poor and needy, and act as thieves in the night. Adulterers wait for the cover of twilight, disguising their faces to avoid detection, while others dig through houses in the dark, having marked them in daylight, for they know not the light. To these wicked, morning is as terrifying as the shadow of death itself. However, Job then shifts to declare their ultimate, albeit delayed, fate. He states that the wicked, though swift and seemingly secure, have a cursed portion on earth. Like snow waters consumed by drought and heat, so too are sinners consumed by the grave. Their memory fades, worms feed sweetly upon them, and their wickedness is broken like a tree. Despite their continued oppression of the barren and widows, and their power over the mighty, their safety is temporary. God's eyes are upon their ways, and they are exalted for only a short while before being brought low, cut off like the tops of corn. Job concludes by challenging anyone to prove his words false, asserting the truth of his observations regarding the eventual downfall of the wicked.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Inaction/Delayed JusticeJob questions why God, who knows all times, does not visibly intervene to punish the wicked immediately, allowing their injustices to persist. This highlights the central theological problem Job grapples with throughout the chapter.
  • Oppression of the VulnerableThe chapter extensively details how the wicked exploit and abuse the most defenseless in society, including the fatherless, widows, and the poor, by stealing their property, denying them shelter, and forcing them into destitution. This theme underscores the profound social injustice Job observes.
  • Rebellion Against LightThe wicked are characterized as those who actively shun the light, preferring darkness to conceal their evil deeds such as murder, adultery, and theft. This illustrates their deliberate choice of sin and their avoidance of moral accountability.
  • Fleeting ProsperityJob asserts that the apparent success and power of the wicked are temporary and ultimately cursed. Despite their momentary exaltation, they are destined for swift destruction and oblivion.
  • Ultimate OblivionThe chapter describes the final fate of the wicked as being forgotten, consumed by the grave, and having their wickedness broken. This emphasizes the complete and irreversible end of their earthly existence and influence.
  • Job's ChallengeJob concludes by challenging anyone to refute his observations about the eventual downfall of the wicked. This serves to underscore his conviction in the truth of his argument, even in the face of apparent divine silence.