Job 24 with Explanation: The Difficult Question About God’s Justice

Job, who has suffered unimaginable losses, is not doubting the existence of God, but rather is trying to understand His justice. And, being honest, who among us hasn’t had those same thoughts?

So let’s dive into this chapter with a sincere and practical perspective, seeking answers that help us find meaning when life seems unfair.

Job 24 Complete in English

Job 24

1. Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know Him wait for such days?
2. Some move boundary stones; they steal flocks and pasture them.
3. They drive away the orphan’s donkey and take the widow’s ox in pledge.

4. They push the needy off the road; the poor of the land hide themselves together.
5. Like wild donkeys in the desert, they go about their labor, searching for food; the wasteland provides food for their children.
6. They gather fodder in the fields and glean in the vineyards of the wicked.

7. Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
8. Drenched by mountain rains, they hug the rocks for lack of shelter.
9. The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.

10. Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
11. They crush olives among the terraces; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
12. The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing.

13. There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths.
14. When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up, kills the poor and needy, and in the night he is like a thief.
15. The adulterer waits for dusk, thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ and he keeps his face concealed.

16. In the dark, thieves break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light.
17. For all of them, morning is like the shadow of death; if someone recognizes them, they are seized with terror.
18. They are like foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so no one goes to their vineyards.

19. As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.
20. The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; the wicked are no longer remembered, but are broken like a tree.
21. They prey on the barren and childless woman, and show no kindness to the widow.

22. But God drags away the mighty by His power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.
23. He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but His eyes are on their ways.
24. They are exalted for a little while, then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.

25. If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?

Job 24 Explained Verse by Verse

God and the Timing of Justice

“Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know Him wait for such days?” (Job 24:1)

Job begins the chapter with a direct and blunt question: If God is just, why doesn’t He establish clear times to judge evil?

This question is as old as humanity itself. We see evil around us—corrupt people getting richer, innocent people suffering—and there seems to be no immediate divine intervention. Why doesn’t God set things right now?

But here’s something interesting: Job is not doubting that God will bring justice, but he struggles to understand why it takes so long. This same tension appears in the Psalms, in Habakkuk, and even in our own lives when we ask God to intervene, but the heavens seem silent.

The Reality of Injustice

Job bluntly describes what he sees in his society:

“Some move boundary stones; they steal flocks and pasture them.” (Job 24:2)

Here, he talks about those who seize lands that do not belong to them, pushing out the weak. It’s a picture of unchecked greed, something we still see today when corporations exploit resources without considering the harm they cause.

The Big Question: Why Doesn’t God Act Immediately?

Here lies the great dilemma of faith:

1. We know that God is just.
2. But we don’t always see His justice when we expect it.

Conclusion: How Do We Apply This to Our Lives?

If today you feel like Job, wondering why God doesn’t act, let me tell you something:

• God is not absent. His justice is not immediate, but it is certain.
• Your cry is valid. Do not be afraid to express your doubts and pains to God.
• While you wait, keep trusting. Job never stopped seeking God, and in the end, his faith was rewarded.

Let us continue trusting and doing good. Because, in the end, good will overcome evil. ✨