Job 24
1 “Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment? Why may those who know Him never see His days?
Howe should not the times be hid from the Almightie, seeing that they which knowe him, see not his dayes?
2 Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks.
Some remoue the land marks, that rob the flockes and feede thereof.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
They leade away the asse of the fatherles: and take the widowes oxe to pledge.
4 They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
They make the poore to turne out of the way, so that the poore of the earth hide themselues together.
5 Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go to work foraging for food; the wasteland is food for their children.
Behold, others as wilde asses in the wildernesse, goe forth to their businesse, and rise early for a praye: the wildernesse giueth him and his children foode.
6 They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.
They reape his prouision in the fielde, but they gather the late vintage of the wicked.
7 Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
They cause the naked to lodge without garment, and without couering in the colde.
8 Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.
They are wet with the showres of the moutaines, and they imbrace the rocke for want of a couering.
9 The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.
They plucke the fatherles from the breast, and take the pledge of the poore.
10 Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and take the glening from the hungrie.
11 They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.
They that make oyle betweene their walles, and treade their wine presses, suffer thirst.
12 From the city, men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.
Men cry out of the citie, and the soules of the slayne cry out: yet God doth not charge them with follie.
13 Then there are those who rebel against the light, not knowing its ways or staying on its paths.
These are they, that abhorre the light: they know not the wayes thereof, nor continue in the paths thereof.
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.
The murtherer riseth earely and killeth the poore and the needie: and in the night he is as a theefe.
15 The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face.
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, and sayth, None eye shall see me, and disguiseth his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light.
They digge through houses in the darke, which they marked for themselues in the daye: they knowe not the light.
17 For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!
But the morning is euen to them as the shadow of death: if one knowe them, they are in the terrours of the shadowe of death.
18 They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards.
He is swift vpon the waters: their portion shalbe cursed in the earth: he will not behold the way of the vineyardes.
19 As drought and heat consume the melting snow, so Sheol steals those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
As the dry ground and heate consume the snowe waters, so shall the graue the sinners. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb forgets them; the worm feeds on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is like a broken tree.
The pitifull man shall forget him: the worme shall feele his sweetenes: he shalbe no more remembered, and the wicked shalbe broke like a tree.
21 They prey on the barren and childless, and show no kindness to the widow.
He doth euil intreat ye barren, that doeth not beare, neither doeth he good to the widowe.
22 Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life.
He draweth also the mighty by his power, and when he riseth vp, none is sure of life.
23 He gives them a sense of security, but His eyes are on their ways.
Though men giue him assurance to be in safetie, yet his eyes are vpon their wayes.
24 They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.
They are exalted for a litle, but they are gone, and are brought lowe as all others: they are destroyed, and cut off as the toppe of an eare of corne.
25 If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?”
But if it be not so, where is he? or who wil proue me a lyer, and make my words of no value?
