Job 24:1-8

1 Job pregunta por qué los malvados no son castigados
»¿Por qué el Todopoderoso no trae a juicio a los malvados?
¿Por qué los justos deben esperarlo en vano?

2 La gente malvada roba tierras moviendo los límites de propiedad;
roba animales y los pone en sus propios campos.

3 Los malos le quitan el burro al huérfano
y a la viuda le exigen el buey como garantía por un préstamo.

4 A los pobres los echan del camino;
los necesitados tienen que esconderse juntos para estar a salvo.

5 Igual que los burros salvajes en los lugares desolados,
los pobres pasan todo su tiempo buscando comida,
hasta en el desierto buscan alimento para sus hijos.

6 Cosechan un campo que no es suyo,
y recogen las sobras en los viñedos de los malvados.

7 Pasan la noche desnudos en medio del frío,
sin ropa ni abrigo para cubrirse.

8 Las lluvias de la montaña los empapan
y se amontonan contra las rocas en busca de refugio.

Job 24:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

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.