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 times for judging wicked people not set by the Almighty? Why do not those who are faithful to God see his days of judgment come?
2 There are men who remove the landmarks. They take away flocks violently, and feed them.
There are wicked people who remove boundary markers; there are wicked people who take away flocks by force and put them in their own pastures.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They drive away the donkey of those without fathers; they take the widow's ox as security.
4 They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
They force needy people out of their path; poor people of the earth all hide themselves from them.
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.
See, these poor people go out to their work like wild donkeys in the wilderness, looking carefully for food; perhaps the Arabah will provide them food for their children.
6 They cut their provender in the field, and they glean the vintage of the wicked.
Poor people reap in the night in other people's fields; they glean grapes from the harvest of those wicked people.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
They lie naked all night without clothing; they 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.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains; they lie next to large rocks because they have no shelter.
9 There are men who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
There are wicked people who pluck orphans from their mothers' breast, and wicked people who take children as security from poor people.
10 so that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves.
But the poor people go about naked without clothing; although they go hungry, they carry bundles of grain belonging to other people.
11 They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
The poor people make oil within the walls of those wicked men; they tread the wicked men's winepresses, but they themselves 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.
From out of the city the dying groan, and the throat of the wounded cries out for help. But God does not ascribe blame
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.
Some of these wicked people rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor do they stay 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.
Before daylight the murderer rises and he kills poor and needy people; in the night he is like a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. And he disguises his face.
Also, the eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight; he says, 'No eye will see me.' He disguises his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They do not know the light.
In the darkness wicked people dig into houses; but they shut themselves up in the daytime; they do not care for the light.
17 For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness. For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
For all of them, thick darkness is like the morning; for they are friends with the terrors of thick darkness.
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.
Swiftly they pass away, however, like foam on the surface of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed; no one goes to work in their vineyards.
As drought and heat melt away the snow into waters, so Sheol takes away 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 womb that bore him will forget him; the worm will feed sweetly on him; he will be remembered no more; in this way, wickedness will be broken like a tree.
21 He devours the barren who do not bear, and does no good to the widow.
The wicked one devours the barren women who have not borne children; he does no good to the widow.
22 Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
Yet God drags away the mighty people by his power; he rises up and does not strengthen them in life.
23 God gives them to be in security, and they rest in it. And his eyes are upon their ways.
God allows them to think they are secure, and they are happy about that, but his eyes are on 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.
These people are exalted; still, in only a little while, they will be gone; indeed, they will be brought low; they will be gathered up like all the others; they will be cut off like the tops of ears of grain.
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?
If it is not so, who can prove me to be a liar; who can make my speech worth nothing?”
