Job 24
1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do those who know him not see his days?
Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.
2 There are men who remove the landmarks. They take away flocks violently, and feed them.
Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
They have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
5 Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their sons.
Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get bread for their children.
6 They cut their provender in the field, and they glean the vintage of the wicked.
They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
9 There are men who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
10 so that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves.
From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
11 They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.
12 From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded cries out. Yet God does not regard the folly.
Out of the cities they have made men to groan, and the soul of the wounded hath cried out, and God doth not suffer it to pass unrevenged.
13 These are of those who rebel against the light. They do not know the ways of it, nor abide in the paths of it.
They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.
14 The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. And in the night he is as a thief.
The murderer riseth at the very break of day, he killeth the needy, and the poor man: but in the night he will be as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. And he disguises his face.
The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They do not know the light.
He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known the light.
17 For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness. For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.
18 Swiftly they pass away upon the face of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They do not turn into the way of the vineyards.
He is light upon the face of the water: cursed be his portion on the earth, let him not walk by the way of the vineyards.
Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat, and his sin even to hell. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb shall forget him. The worm shall feed sweetly on him. He shall be no more remembered. And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.
Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful tree.
21 He devours the barren who do not bear, and does no good to the widow.
For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
22 Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.
23 God gives them to be in security, and they rest in it. And his eyes are upon their ways.
God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his ways.
24 They are exalted. Yet a little while, and they are gone. Yea, they are brought low. They are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.
They are lifted up for a little while and shall not stand, and shall be brought down as all things, and shall be taken away, and as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be broken.
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?
And if it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
