Job
Chapter 24
Why is what happens hidden from God? Why do his faithful never see his justice?
The wicked remove landmarks and steal both flocks and shepherds.
They seize the orphan’s ass and take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
The needy stay far from the road, the poor go into hiding.
Like wild asses in the wasteland, they search for food; the poor work hard through the night, for there is no food for their children!
They gather fodder in the fields, work in the vineyards of the wicked.
Destitute, they lie down naked, shivering in the freezing cold.
Drenched by mountain rains, they hug the rocks for lack of shelter.
The fatherless child is snatched from the breast, the infant of the poor seized for a debt.
Without clothes, they go naked, starving as they carry the sheaves.
Between the millstones they crush olives; they tread the winepress but still suffer from thirst.
In the city, the dying groan, and the wounded cry out for help but God pays no attention.
Many rebel against the light, they do not know its way or stay in its path.
When dawn breaks, the murderer rises to kill the poor and the helpless.
The adulterer waits for dusk, thinking that no eye watches him. At night, the thief walks about and puts a mask over his face,
ready to break into the houses that he chose during the day.
Morning is their darkest hour the time for them to fear.
The wicked are foam on the face of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed, and no one goes to their vineyards.
As drought and heat consume the thawed snow, so Sheol swallows up the sinner,
and the womb which formed him, forgets him. Evil men are no longer remembered, like a fallen tree they are broken.
They preyed on the barren, childless woman, and showed no kindness to the widow.
But the powerful oppose them and pull away the mighty.
He may make them feel safe, but his eyes are watching their actions.
They are momentarily exalted, and then gone; they wither and fade like weeds. They are cut off like heads of grain.
If this is not so, who can prove me wrong and undo my words to nothing?
Commentaries
Third Round of Speeches.
This round of speeches comes across as disorganized and confusing. Eliphaz speaks, and Job responds. Bildad’s speech, which is only five verses long, is clearly cut short; Zophar remains silent. Additionally, some of what Job says seems more fitting coming from his friends. Experts continue to work towards a coherent conclusion. Still, it seems as if Job and his friends are all shouting at once, which might be the fitting end to a “dialogue” of the deaf about the cosmic and moral order.
Job’s Response to Eliphaz.
Verses 23:3-7 are filled with legal language. Interestingly, Job does not seem to need a mediator—such as an arbitrator, witness, or defender—but is willing to handle his case himself, confident he can prove his innocence. However, things are more complicated. God appears to be absent (23:8f). The irony in 23:10b is evident: we, the readers, know Job is being tested and that justice will ultimately be served, but in the meantime, Job is enduring a dark night of the soul. He has remained completely faithful, yet God works in mysterious ways (23:11-14). Job questions why God has not set a date to sit in judgment and render decisions (24:1). Returning to the theme of social injustice, Job describes the wicked oppressing the weak and helpless (24:2-4); he then provides a detailed account of the struggling poor. He concludes with a reflection on two paths—light and darkness—and highlights those who love darkness.