Job 24
1 Why are times not stored up by the Ruler of all, and why do those who have knowledge of him not see his days?
“Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment? Why may those who know Him never see His days?
2 The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers.
Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks.
3 They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
4 The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.
They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
5 Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care; from the waste land they get bread for their children.
Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go to work foraging for food; the wasteland is food for their children.
6 They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.
They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.
7 They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold.
Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
8 They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.
Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.
9 The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt.
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.
10 Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.
Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
11 Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes.
They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.
12 From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.
From the city, men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.
13 Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.
Then there are those who rebel against the light, not knowing its ways or staying on its paths.
14 He who is purposing death gets up before day, so that he may put to death the poor and those in need.
When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.
15 And the man whose desire is for the wife of another is waiting for the evening, saying, No eye will see me; and he puts a cover on his face. And in the night the thief goes about;
The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face.
16 In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses: in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light.
In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light.
17 For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark.
For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!
18 They go quickly on the face of the waters; their heritage is cursed in the earth; the steps of the crusher of grapes are not turned to their vine-garden.
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.
As drought and heat consume the melting snow, so Sheol steals those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 The public place of his town has no more knowledge of him, and his name has gone from the memory of men: he is rooted up like a dead tree.
The womb forgets them; the worm feeds on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is like a broken tree.
21 He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child.
They prey on the barren and childless, and show no kindness to the widow.
22 But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.
Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life.
23 He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways.
He gives them a sense of security, but His eyes are on their ways.
24 For a short time they are lifted up; then they are gone; they are made low, they are pulled off like fruit, and like the heads of grain they are cut off.
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.
25 And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?
If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?”
