Job 24
1 “Why are not times laid up by the Almighty? Why do not those who know him see his days?
Why are not times treasured up by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him see his days?
2 There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, and pasture them.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, And take 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 push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
5 Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.
Behold, like wild asses of the desert, they go forth to their work; They search for prey; The wilderness supplieth them food for their children.
6 They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.
They are drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of shelter.
9 There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
The fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
10 so that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
11 They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
They make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet suffer thirst.
12 From out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God does not regard the folly.
From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not their prayer!
13 “These are of those who rebel against the light. They do not know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its paths.
14 The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like a thief.
With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; In the night he is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ He disguises his face.
The eye of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight; He saith, “No eye will see me,” And putteth a mask upon 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 dark they break into houses; In the daytime they shut themselves up; They are strangers to the light.
17 For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
The morning is to them the very shadow of death; They are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 “They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They do not turn into the way of the vineyards.
Light are they on the face of the waters; They have an accursed portion in the earth; They come not near the vineyards.
As drought and heat consume the snow waters, So doth the grave the wicked. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb will forget him. The worm will feed sweetly on him. He will be no more remembered. Unrighteousness will be broken as a tree.
His own mother forgetteth him; The worm feedeth sweetly on him; He is no more remembered, And iniquity is broken like a tree.
21 He devours the barren who do not bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
He oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, And doeth not good to the widow.
22 Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
He taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
23 God gives them security, and they rest in it. His eyes are on their ways.
God giveth them security, so that they are confident; His eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone. Yes, 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 a little while they are gone! They are brought low, and die, like all others; And like the topmost ears of corn are they cut off.
25 If it is not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”
If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
