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?
The times are not hidden from the Almighty; even those who know him, do not know his days.
2 The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers.
Some have crossed the boundaries, plundered the flocks, and given them pasture.
3 They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt.
They have driven away the donkey of orphans, and have taken the cow from the widow as collateral.
4 The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.
They have undermined the way of the poor, and have pressed together the meek of the earth.
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.
Others, like wild asses in the desert, go forth to their work; by watching for prey, they obtain bread 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 reap a field that is not their own, and they harvest a vineyard that they have taken by force.
7 They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold.
They send men away naked, having taken the clothing of those who have no covering in the cold;
8 They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.
these are wet with the mountain rain, and, having no covering, they embrace the rocks.
9 The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt.
They have used violence to deprive orphans, and they have robbed the poor common people.
10 Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.
From the naked and those who do not have enough clothing, and from the hungry, they have taken away sheaves of grain.
11 Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes.
They take their midday rest among the stockpiles of those who, though they have trodden the winepresses, suffer thirst.
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.
In the cities, they caused the men to groan and the spirit of the wounded to cry out, and so God does not allow this to go unpunished.
13 Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.
They have been rebellious against the light; they have not known his ways, nor have they returned by his paths.
14 He who is purposing death gets up before day, so that he may put to death the poor and those in need.
The killer of men rises at first light; he executes the destitute and the poor, but, in truth, he is like a thief in the night.
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 waits for darkness, saying, “No eye will see me,” and 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.
He passes through houses in the nighttime, just as they had agreed among themselves in the daytime; and they are ignorant of the light.
17 For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark.
If sunrise should suddenly appear, it is treated by them like the shadow of death; and they walk in darkness, as if in light.
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.
He is nimble on the surface of water. His place on land is to be accursed. May he not walk by way of the vineyards.
May he cross from the snowy waters to excessive heat, and his sin, all the way to hell. (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.
Let mercy forget him. His charm is worms. Let him not be remembered, but instead be broken like an unfruitful tree.
21 He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child.
For he has fed on the barren, who does not bear fruit, and he has not done good 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.
He has pulled down the strong by his strength, and, when he stands up, he will not have trust in his life.
23 He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways.
God has given him a place for repentance, and he abuses it with arrogance, but his eyes are upon his 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 lifted up for a little while, but they will not continue, and they will be brought low, just like all things, and they will be taken away, and, like the tops of the ears of grain, they will be crushed.
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?
But, if this is not so, who is able to prove to me that I have lied and to place my words before God?
