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?
Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
2 The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers.
The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil.
3 They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt.
The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
4 The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.
They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor 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.
Lo, wild asses in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself — food for young ones.
6 They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.
In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.
7 They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold.
The naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is 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.
From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge — have embraced a rock.
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 take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.
10 Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.
Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry — have taken away a sheaf.
11 Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes.
Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and 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.
Because of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise.
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 among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in 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.
At the light doth the murderer rise, He doth slay the poor and needy, And in the night he is as 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;
And the eye of an adulterer Hath observed the twilight, Saying, 'No eye doth behold me.' And he putteth the face in secret.
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 hath dug in the darkness — houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
17 For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark.
When together, morning [is] to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.
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.
Light he [is] on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards.
Drought — also heat — consume snow-waters, Sheol [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.
Forget him doth the womb, Sweeten [on] him doth the worm, No more is he remembered, And broken as a tree is wickedness.
21 He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child.
Treating evil the barren [who] beareth not, And [to] the widow he doth no good,
22 But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.
And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.
23 He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways.
He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And 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.
High they were [for] a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. As all [others] they are shut up, And as the head of an ear of corn cut off.
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?
And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?
