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The Book of Job

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- Chapter 24 -

Job complains about the violence on earth

1
The times are not hidden from the Almighty; even those who know him, do not know his days.
2
Some have crossed the boundaries, plundered the flocks, and given them pasture.
3
They have driven away the donkey of orphans, and have taken the cow from the widow as collateral.
4
They have undermined the way of the poor, and have pressed together the meek of the earth.
5
Others, like wild asses in the desert, go forth to their work; by watching for prey, they obtain bread for their children.
6
They reap a field that is not their own, and they harvest a vineyard that they have taken by force.
7
They send men away naked, having taken the clothing of those who have no covering in the cold;
8
these are wet with the mountain rain, and, having no covering, they embrace the rocks.
9
They have used violence to deprive orphans, and they have robbed the poor common people.
10
From the naked and those who do not have enough clothing, and from the hungry, they have taken away sheaves of grain.(a) (b)
11
They take their midday rest among the stockpiles of those who, though they have trodden the winepresses, suffer thirst.
12
In the cities, they caused the men to groan and the spirit of the wounded to cry out, and so God does not allow this to go unpunished.
13
They have been rebellious against the light; they have not known his ways, nor have they returned by his paths.
14
The killer of men rises at first light; he executes the destitute and the poor, but, in truth, he is like a thief in the night.(c)
15
The eye of the adulterer waits for darkness, saying, “No eye will see me,” and he covers his face.
16
He passes through houses in the nighttime, just as they had agreed among themselves in the daytime; and they are ignorant of the light.
17
If sunrise should suddenly appear, it is treated by them like the shadow of death; and they walk in darkness, as if in light.
18
He is nimble on the surface of water. His place on land is to be accursed. May he not walk by way of the vineyards.(d)
19
May he cross from the snowy waters to excessive heat, and his sin, all the way to hell.
20
Let mercy forget him. His charm is worms. Let him not be remembered, but instead be broken like an unfruitful tree.
21
For he has fed on the barren, who does not bear fruit, and he has not done good to the widow.
22
He has pulled down the strong by his strength, and, when he stands up, he will not have trust in his life.
23
God has given him a place for repentance, and he abuses it with arrogance, but his eyes are upon his ways.
24
They are lifted up for a little while, but they will not continue, and they will be brought low, just like all things, and they will be taken away, and, like the tops of the ears of grain, they will be crushed.
25
But, if this is not so, who is able to prove to me that I have lied and to place my words before God?

Footnotes

(a)24:10 The word ‘spicas’ is usually translated as ‘ears of corn.’ However, the Middle East had no maize (called ‘corn’ in the United States) at that time in history. The word ‘spicas’ and the word ‘corn’ refer to grain in general, such as wheat, barley, or flax.(Conte)
(b)24:10 So, why does this passage complain that the naked as well as the hungry have grain taken away from them? Because clothing was made from flax, a type of grain, which also provided grain for food. This passage complains that they have taken away various types of grain from the poor, including types of grain used for food, and flax which was used for both food and clothing. The word ‘spicas’ is therefore translated as ‘sheaves of grain,’ so as to include the stalks of grain used to make clothing and the various types of grain used for food.(Conte)
(c)24:14 The use of the word ‘interficit’ implies that such killings are not the actions of criminals, but of persons with power and authority in society. The word ‘interficit’ is not used for criminal murders, but for executions by authority. This passage calls such persons, who unjustly use authority to cause the deaths of others, ‘homicida’ (killer of men), because this word can refer either to criminal murderers, or to others who kill without breaking the law (such as soldiers in battle). In other words, such persons kill under guise of authority, but are no better than murderers and theives (stealing peoples lives and livelihoods).(Conte)
(d)24:18 The first part of this verse is difficult to understand. The passage talks about evil-doers, such as persons with power who abuse the poor, and murderers, and adulterers. Who is nimble on the surface (or face) of water? Christ walked on water, but this passage is about an evil person. It is about the Antichrist, who will be nimble on the surface of water, and a murderer, and an adulterer, and someone who abuses the poor.(Conte)

Job complains about the violence on earth

1
“Why aren’t times laid up by the Almighty? Why don’t those who know him see his days?
2
There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
3
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4
They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5
Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.
6
They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7
They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
8
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.
9
There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
10
so that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
11
They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
12
From out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn’t regard the folly.
13
“These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
14
The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like a thief.
15
The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ He disguises his face.
16
In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They don’t know the light.
17
For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
18
“They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They don’t turn into the way of the vineyards.
19
Drought and heat consume the snow waters, so does Sheol (a) those who have sinned.
20
The womb will forget him. The worm will feed sweetly on him. He will be no more remembered. Unrighteousness will be broken as a tree.
21
He devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
22
Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
23
God gives them security, and they rest in it. His eyes are on their ways.
24
They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone. Yes, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.
25
If it isn’t so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”

Footnotes

(a)24:19 Sheol is the place of the dead.
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