12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
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.
12 From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God charges no one with wrong.
12 People are dying right and left, groaning in torment. The wretched cry out for help and God does nothing, acts like nothing's wrong!
12 The dying groan in the city, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not charge them with wrong.
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the wounded cry for help, yet God ignores their moaning.
20 I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.
20 "I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me.
20 I cry to you for help and you do not answer me; I stand, and you only look at me.
20 "I shout for help, God, and get nothing, no answer! I stand to face you in protest, and you give me a blank stare!
20 "I cry out to You, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You regard me.
20 "I cry to you, OÂ God, but you don't answer. I stand before you, but you don't even look.
(Read Job 30:15-31)
Job complains a great deal. Harbouring hard thoughts of God was the sin which did, at this time, most easily beset Job. When inward temptations join with outward calamities, the soul is hurried as in a tempest, and is filled with confusion. But woe be to those who really have God for an enemy! Compared with the awful state of ungodly men, what are all outward, or even inward temporal afflictions? There is something with which Job comforts himself, yet it is but a little. He foresees that death will be the end of all his troubles. God's wrath might bring him to death; but his soul would be safe and happy in the world of spirits. If none pity us, yet our God, who corrects, pities us, even as a father pitieth his own children. And let us look more to the things of eternity: then the believer will cease from mourning, and joyfully praise redeeming love.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 24:12
Commentary on Job 24:1-12
(Read Job 24:1-12)
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.