Job 24

1 »Si los tiempos no se esconden del Todopoderoso,¿por qué no los perciben quienes dicen conocerlo?

2 Hay quienes no respetan los linderos,y pastorean ganado robado;

3 a los huérfanos los despojan de sus asnos;a las viudas les quitan en prenda sus bueyes;

4 apartan del camino a los necesitados;a los pobres del país los obligan a esconderse.

5 Como asnos salvajes del desierto,se afanan los pobres por encontrar su presa,y el páramo da de comer a sus hijos.

6 En campos ajenos recogen forraje,y en las viñas de los malvados recogen uvas.

7 Por no tener ropa, se pasan la noche desnudos;¡no tienen con qué protegerse del frío!

8 Las lluvias de las montañas los empapan;no teniendo más abrigo, se arriman a las peñas.

9 Al huérfano se le aparta de los pechos de su madre;al pobre se le retiene a cambio de una deuda.

10 Por no tener ropa, andan desnudos;aunque cargados de trigo, van muriéndose de hambre.

11 Exprimen aceitunas en las terrazas;^[a]pisan uvas en las cubas, pero desfallecen de sed.

12 De la ciudad se eleva el clamor de los moribundos;la garganta de los heridos reclama ayuda,¡pero Dios ni se da por enterado!

13 »Hay quienes se oponen a la luz;no viven conforme a ellani reconocen sus caminos.

14 Apenas amanece, se levanta el asesinoy mata al pobre y al necesitado;apenas cae la noche, actúa como ladrón.

15 Los ojos del adúltero están pendientes de la noche;se dice a sí mismo: “No habrá quien me vea”,y mantiene oculto el rostro.

16 Por la noche, entra el ladrón a casa ajena,pero se encierra durante el día;¡de la luz no quiere saber nada!

17 Para todos ellos, la mañana es oscuridad;prefieren el horror de las tinieblas».

Interrupción de Zofar

18 ^[b]«Los malvados son como espuma sobre el agua;su parcela está bajo maldición;ya no van a trabajar a los viñedos.

19 Y así como el calor y la sequíaarrebatan con violencia la nieve derretida,así el sepulcro arrebata a los pecadores.

20 Su propia madre se olvida de ellos;los gusanos se los comen;nadie vuelve a recordarlos,¡son desgajados como árboles!

21 Maltratan a la estéril, a la mujer sin hijos;jamás buscan el bien de la viuda.

22 Pero Dios, con su poder, arrastra a los poderosos;cuando él se levanta, nadie tiene segura la vida.

23 Dios los deja sentirse seguros,pero no les quita la vista de encima.

24 Por algún tiempo son exaltados,pero luego dejan de existir;son humillados y recogidos como hierba,^[c]¡son cortados como espigas!

25 ¿Quién puede probar que es falso lo que digo,y reducir mis palabras a la nada?»

Job 24 Commentary

Chapter 24

Wickedness often unpunished. (1-12) The wicked shun the light. (13-17) Judgements for the wicked. (18-25)

Verses 1-12 Job discourses further about the prosperity of the wicked. That many live at ease who are ungodly and profane, he had showed, ch. xxi. Here he shows that many who live in open defiance of all the laws of justice, succeed in wicked practices; and we do not see them reckoned with in this world. He notices those that do wrong under pretence of law and authority; and robbers, those that do wrong by force. He says, "God layeth not folly to them;" that is, he does not at once send his judgments, nor make them examples, and so manifest their folly to all the world. But he that gets riches, and not by right, at his end shall be a fool, ( Jeremiah 17:11 ) .

Verses 13-17 See what care and pains wicked men take to compass their wicked designs; let it shame our negligence and slothfulness in doing good. See what pains those take, who make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it: pains to compass, and then to hide that which will end in death and hell at last. Less pains would mortify and crucify the flesh, and be life and heaven at last. Shame came in with sin, and everlasting shame is at the end of it. See the misery of sinners; they are exposed to continual frights: yet see their folly; they are afraid of coming under the eye of men, but have no dread of God's eye, which is always upon them: they are not afraid of doing things which they are afraid of being known to do.

Verses 18-25 Sometimes how gradual is the decay, how quiet the departure of a wicked person, how is he honoured, and how soon are all his cruelties and oppressions forgotten! They are taken off with other men, as the harvestman gathers the ears of corn as they come to hand. There will often appear much to resemble the wrong view of Providence Job takes in this chapter. But we are taught by the word of inspiration, that these notions are formed in ignorance, from partial views. The providence of God, in the affairs of men, is in every thing a just and wise providence. Let us apply this whenever the Lord may try us. He cannot do wrong. The unequalled sorrows of the Son of God when on earth, unless looked at in this view, perplex the mind. But when we behold him, as the sinner's Surety, bearing the curse, we can explain why he should endure that wrath which was due to sin, that Divine justice might be satisfied, and his people saved.

Footnotes

• [a]. "en las terrazas" . Alt. "entre las piedras de molino" .
• [b]. Zofar no se menciona en el texto. Se considera que esta porción, junto con 27:13-23, forma parte del tercer discurso de este personaje.
• [c]. "como hierba " (LXX); "como todo " (TM).

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 24

This chapter contains the second part of Job's answer to the last discourse of Eliphaz, in which he shows that wicked men, those of the worst characters, prosper in the world, and go through it with impunity; he lays down this as a certain truth, that though no time is hid from God, yet they that are most familiar with him, and know most of him, do not see, and cannot observe, any days of his for judging and punishing wicked men in, this life, Job 24:1; and instances in men guilty of injustice, violence, oppression, cruelty, and inhumanity, to their neighbours, and yet God lays not folly to them, or charges them with sin, and punishes them for it, Job 24:2-12; and in persons that commit the most atrocious crimes in secret, such as murderers, adulterers, and thieves, Job 24:13-17; he allows that there is a curse upon their portion, and that the grave shall consume them, and they shall be remembered no more, Job 24:18-20; and because of their ill treatment of others, though they may be in safety and prosperity, and be exalted for a while, they shall be brought low and cut off by death, but generally speaking are not punished in this life, Job 24:21-24; and concludes with the greatest assurance of being in the right, and having truth on his side, Job 24:25.