Job 24 Summary

After Job 23 summary, Job continues speaking in the 24th chapter for 25 verses before he allows his friends to speak one last time.

Job 24 Summary of Verse 1

Why doesn’t God always punish the wicked immediately? | Job 24:1

And Job pivots the conversation to get back to what really is the case for the wicked. The friends say that God pretty much always punishes the wicked immediately in this life. So then, why does Job see instances where that doesn’t happen? – verse 1…

KJV Job 24:1 Why, [seeing times are not/are times not] [hidden {as a treasure}/stored up/appointed] [from/by] the Almighty, [why does the Almighty not punish?…]
[and why…] do they that know him not see his [own…] days?

Why doesn’t God store up times of recompense for the wicked and of deliverance for those who know him? Job’s not seeing that happen in his life.

Job 24 Summary of Verses 2-4

The wicked abuse the powerless | Job 24:2-4

And even though that verse was a bit difficult to translate and interpret, the message becomes very clear in the next several verses – as Job declares that the wicked abuse the powerless – and go unpunished! – verses 2-4…

Job 24:2 [Some/Men][remove/move] [the landmarks/boundary stones];
they [violently take away/seize] flocks, and [feed thereof/devour them/pasture them].

Job 24:3 They drive away the [ass/donkey] of the [fatherless/orphan],
they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

Job 24:4 They [turn/push] the needy [out of/aside from/from] the [way/road/pathway]:
the poor of the [earth/land] [hide/are made to hide] themselves [together/altogether].

Job 24 Summary of Verses 5-6

The powerless people’s plight | Job 24:5-6

And then Job reviews the plight of the powerless who are abused by the wicked – verses 5 and 6…

Job 24:5 Behold, [as/like]wild [asses/donkeys] in the [desert/wilderness], go {they/the powerless} forth to their work;
[rising betimes/seeking diligently] for [a prey/food]: {because they’re not getting paid by their wicked master…}

the [wilderness/desert/wasteland] yieldeth food for them
 and for their children.

Job 24:6 They [reap/harvest] [every one his corn/their fodder] in the field:
and they gather [the/in the] [vintage/vineyard] of the wicked.

In other words, the powerless serve the wicked but they themselves go unpaid from the harvest they’re helping to reap for the wicked.

Job 24 Summary of Verses 7-8

The wicked don’t clothe those without necessary clothing | Job 24:7-8

So, the wicked don’t feed the powerless who serve them. They also don’t clothe or house them – verses 7 and 8…

Job 24:7 They [cause the naked to lodge/spend the night naked] [without/because they lack] clothing,
[that they have/and they have]no covering [in/against] the cold.

Job 24:8 They are [wet with/soaked by] [the showers of the mountains/mountain rains],
and [embrace the rock/hug the rock/huddle in the rocks] [for want of a/because they lack] shelter.

Job 24 Summary of Verses 9-11

More abuse from the wicked against the powerless | Job 24:9-11

And Job continues to review the abuse of the powerless at the hands of the wicked – verses 9-11…

Job 24:9 [They/Others] [pluck/snatch] the [fatherless/orphan/fatherless child] from the breast, {maybe as a pledge or surety…}
and take a pledge [of/against] the poor.

Job 24:10 They [cause him to go/cause the poor to go about/go about] naked without clothing,
and they take away the sheaf from the hungry; [or, someone goes hungry while carrying sheaves…]

Job 24:11 [Which/They][make/produce/press out] oil [within/between] [their walls/the rows of olive trees],
 and tread their winepresses, [and suffer thirst/but thirst/while they are thirsty].

They are carrying sheaves but don’t get to eat the grain. They press wine but don’t get to drink.

Job 24 Summary of Verse 12

But where is God as this is all happening? | Job 24:12

And if we’ve understood what Job has been arguing here, we ought to be outraged at what the wicked does to the powerless in this life. And our response will probably be like Job’s – where is God as all of this is happening? – verse 12…

Job 24:12 [Men/Dying men] groan [from out of/from] the city,
and the soul of the wounded crieth out [for help…]:

yet God [layeth not folly to them/does not pay attention to folly/charges no one with wrongdoing].

Job 24 Summary of Verses 13-17

The wicked clothe themselves in darkness | Job 24:13-17

Now, in Eliphaz’s last speech, he accused Job of assuming that physical darkness would hide his presumed evil deeds from God. And of course, Job denies that. But he doesn’t deny the fact that the wicked do engage in their evil behaviors in the dark – verses 13-17…

Job 24:13 [They are of/Others have been with/There are] those that rebel against the light;
they know not the ways thereof, [and don’t want to …]
nor [abide/stay] in the paths thereof. {here are two or three examples of these people…}

Job 24:14 The murderer rising [with the light/at dawn/before daybreak]
killeth the poor and needy,
and in the night is as a thief.

Job 24:15 The eye also of the adulterer [waiteth/watches] for the twilight,
saying, No eye [shall/will/can] see me:
and [disguiseth/covers with a mask] his face.

Job 24:16 In the dark [they/robbers] [dig through/dig into/breaks into] houses,
which they [had marked for themselves/shut themselves in] in the daytime:
they know not the light.

Job 24:17 For the morning is to them [even/the same] as [the shadow of death/thick darkness/deep darkness]:
[if one know them, they are in/he knows/they are friends with]the terrors of [the shadow of death/thick darkness].

Job 24 Summary of Verses 18-24

Yet the friends make facile claims about the wicked | Job 24:18-24

And yet, despite these realities that Job is pointing to, Job is amazed that these friends of his keep making facile claims about the wicked that just aren’t true – verses 18-24…

Job 24:18 [You say…] He is [swift/insignificant/foam] [as/on] the waters;
their portion is cursed [in the earth/of land]: {i.e. Job isn’t all of a sudden agreeing with the friends. He’s saying that this is what they are saying…}
[he beholdeth not/they do not turn toward/so that no one goes] the way of [the/their] vineyards.

Job 24:19 Drought and heat [consume/carry away] the snow waters:
so doth the grave those which have sinned.

Job 24:20 [The womb/A mother] shall forget him;
the worm shall [feed sweetly/feast] on him;

he shall be no more remembered; [because of the worm’s work…]
and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

Job 24:21 He [evil entreateth/wrongs/preys on] the barren that beareth not:
and doeth not good to the widow.

Job 24:22 [He/The wicked] [draweth/drags off] [also/but] the [mighty/valiant] [with/by] his power:
[he/the wicked] riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

Job 24:23 Though it be given [him/the wicked] [by God…] to be in safety, whereon [he/the wicked] resteth;
[yet/but] [his/God’s] eyes are upon [their/the wicked’s] ways.

Job 24:24 They are exalted for a little while,
but are gone and brought low;

they are [taken out of the way/gathered up/gathered in] as all other,
and cut off as the tops of the [ears of corn/heads of grain].

So, this is how Job draws his response to a close. Despite much evidence to the contrary, the friends continue giving their debunked theories as to how God deals swiftly with the wicked in this life.

Job 24 Summary of Verse 25

A challenge for the friends to consider what Job said | Job 24:25

And Job ends with a challenge to the friends to prove him wrong – verse 25…

Job 24:25 And if it be not so now, who will [make/prove] me a liar,
and make my speech [nothing worth/worthless]?

So, Job has reviewed his inability to find God and to dispute with him concerning how God is treating him. He’s also overviewed the reality of how God works with the wicked in this life – and that reality doesn’t line up with what his friends have so adamantly claimed.