Job 24
1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do those who know him not see his days?
Why are not times [of punishment] treasured up by the Almighty, and why do his adorers not see his days [of retribution]?
2 There are men who remove the landmarks. They take away flocks violently, and feed them.
[The wicked] remove landmarks: they rob flocks, and feed them.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take in pledge the widow's ox.
4 They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
They chase the needy out of the highway: altogether hide themselves the poor 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.
Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness go they forth to their work, rising betimes after [their] prey: the desert yieldeth food for them and for their young men.
6 They cut their provender in the field, and they glean the vintage of the wicked.
In the field they reap their food; and in the vineyard of the wicked they gather the fruit.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
They cause [the poor] to spend the night naked, without clothing and without any covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
Through the sweeping rain of the mountains are they made wet, and for want of a shelter do they embrace the rock.
9 There are men who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
The others pluck from the breast the fatherless, and the garment of the poor they take in pledge.
10 so that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves.
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and from the hungry they take away the sheaf:
11 They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Within their walls do they make oil, they tread their wine-presses, and 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 a populous city is groaning heard, and the soul of the deadly wounded crieth out: yet God regardeth it not as an offence.
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.
Yon men are of those that rebel against the light: they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths.
14 The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. And in the night he is as a thief.
With the earliest light riseth the murderer, he slayeth the poor and needy, and in the night he becometh like the thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. And he disguises his face.
And the eye of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight, saying, No eye will see me; and placeth a covering on his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They do not know the light.
They break into houses in the dark, in the daytime they lock themselves in: they know not the light.
17 For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness. For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
For to all of these alike is the morning as the shadow of death; for they are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
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.
Swift are such men [to flee] on the face of the water; accursed is their field on the land; none of them turneth himself to the way, of the vineyards.
Drought and heat speedily consume the snow-waters: so doth the grave those who have sinned. (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.
The mother that bore such a one will forget him; the worm will feed sweetly on him; he will be no more remembered; and like a tree will wickedness be broken.
21 He devours the barren who do not bear, and does no good to the widow.
He ill-treateth the barren that heareth not; and to the widow he acteth not well.
22 Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
But he also draweth down the mighty with his power: he riseth up, no one is sure of life.
23 God gives them to be in security, and they rest in it. And his eyes are upon their ways.
To such [God] granteth to be in safety, that he may find support; and His eyes are upon their 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 exalted; in but a little while they are no more; and they are brought down low: like all others are they gathered in, and like the top of the ear of corn are they cut off.
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?
But if it be not so, who will prove me a liar, and render nought my word?
