< Job 24 >

1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do those who know him not see his days?
מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים וְ֝יֹדְעָ֗יו לֹא־חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו׃
2 There are men who remove the landmarks. They take away flocks violently, and feed them.
גְּבֻל֥וֹת יַשִּׂ֑יגוּ עֵ֥דֶר גָּ֝זְל֗וּ וַיִּרְעֽוּ׃
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
חֲמ֣וֹר יְתוֹמִ֣ים יִנְהָ֑גוּ יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּ שׁ֣וֹר אַלְמָנָֽה׃
4 They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
יַטּ֣וּ אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים מִדָּ֑רֶךְ יַ֥חַד חֻ֝בְּא֗וּ עֲנִיֵּי־אָֽרֶץ׃
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.
הֵ֤ן פְּרָאִ֨ים ׀ בַּֽמִּדְבָּ֗ר יָצְא֣וּ בְּ֭פָעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵ֣י לַטָּ֑רֶף עֲרָבָ֥ה ל֥וֹ לֶ֝֗חֶם לַנְּעָרִֽים׃
6 They cut their provender in the field, and they glean the vintage of the wicked.
בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה בְּלִיל֣וֹ יִקְצ֑וֹרוּ וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
עָר֣וֹם יָ֭לִינוּ מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת בַּקָּרָֽה׃
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
מִזֶּ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים יִרְטָ֑בוּ וּֽמִבְּלִ֥י מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה חִבְּקוּ־צֽוּר׃
9 There are men who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
יִ֭גְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁ֣ד יָת֑וֹם וְֽעַל־עָנִ֥י יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃
10 so that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves.
עָר֣וֹם הִ֭לְּכוּ בְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗ים נָ֣שְׂאוּ עֹֽמֶר׃
11 They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
בֵּין־שׁוּרֹתָ֥ם יַצְהִ֑ירוּ יְקָבִ֥ים דָּ֝רְכ֗וּ וַיִּצְמָֽאוּ׃
12 From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded cries out. Yet God does not regard the folly.
מֵ֘עִ֤יר מְתִ֨ים ׀ יִנְאָ֗קוּ וְנֶֽפֶשׁ־חֲלָלִ֥ים תְּשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וֶ֝אֱל֗וֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׂ֥ים תִּפְלָֽה׃
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.
הֵ֤מָּה ׀ הָיוּ֮ בְּֽמֹרְדֵ֫י־א֥וֹר לֹֽא־הִכִּ֥ירוּ דְרָכָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָ֝שְׁב֗וּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃
14 The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. And in the night he is as a thief.
לָא֡וֹר יָ֘ק֤וּם רוֹצֵ֗חַ יִֽקְטָל־עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וּ֝בַלַּ֗יְלָה יְהִ֣י כַגַּנָּֽב׃
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. And he disguises his face.
וְעֵ֤ין נֹאֵ֨ף ׀ שָׁ֤מְרָֽה נֶ֣שֶׁף לֵ֭אמֹר לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵ֣נִי עָ֑יִן וְסֵ֖תֶר פָּנִ֣ים יָשִֽׂים׃
16 In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They do not know the light.
חָתַ֥ר בַּחֹ֗שֶׁךְ בָּ֫תִּ֥ים יוֹמָ֥ם חִתְּמוּ־לָ֗מוֹ לֹא־יָ֥דְעוּ אֽוֹר׃
17 For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness. For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
כִּ֤י יַחְדָּ֨ו ׀ בֹּ֣קֶר לָ֣מוֹ צַלְמָ֑וֶת כִּֽי־יַ֝כִּ֗יר בַּלְה֥וֹת צַלְמָֽוֶת׃
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.
קַֽל־ה֤וּא ׀ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַ֗יִם תְּקֻלַּ֣ל חֶלְקָתָ֣ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־יִ֝פְנֶה דֶּ֣רֶךְ כְּרָמִֽים׃
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters, and Sheol those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
צִיָּ֤ה גַם־חֹ֗ם יִגְזְל֥וּ מֵֽימֵי־שֶׁ֗לֶג שְׁא֣וֹל חָטָֽאוּ׃ (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.
יִשְׁכָּ֘חֵ֤הוּ רֶ֨חֶם ׀ מְתָ֘ק֤וֹ רִמָּ֗ה ע֥וֹד לֹֽא־יִזָּכֵ֑ר וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֖ר כָּעֵ֣ץ עַוְלָֽה׃
21 He devours the barren who do not bear, and does no good to the widow.
רֹעֶ֣ה עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד וְ֝אַלְמָנָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב׃
22 Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
וּמָשַׁ֣ךְ אַבִּירִ֣ים בְּכֹח֑וֹ יָ֝ק֗וּם וְֽלֹא־יַאֲמִ֥ין בַּֽחַיִּֽין׃
23 God gives them to be in security, and they rest in it. And his eyes are upon their ways.
יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ לָ֭בֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵ֑ן וְ֝עֵינֵ֗יהוּ עַל־דַּרְכֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
ר֤וֹמּוּ מְּעַ֨ט ׀ וְֽאֵינֶ֗נּוּ וְֽהֻמְּכ֗וּ כַּכֹּ֥ל יִקָּפְצ֑וּן וּכְרֹ֖אשׁ שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת יִמָּֽלוּ׃
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?
וְאִם־לֹ֣א אֵ֭פוֹ מִ֣י יַכְזִיבֵ֑נִי וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְ֝אַ֗ל מִלָּתִֽי׃ ס

< Job 24 >