Job 24
1 The times are not hidden from the Almighty; even those who know him, do not know his days.
Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do those who know him not see his days?
2 Some have crossed the boundaries, plundered the flocks, and given them pasture.
There are men who remove the landmarks. They take away flocks violently, and feed them.
3 They have driven away the donkey of orphans, and have taken the cow from the widow as collateral.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They have undermined the way of the poor, and have pressed together the meek of the earth.
They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5 Others, like wild asses in the desert, go forth to their work; by watching for prey, they obtain bread for their children.
Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their sons.
6 They reap a field that is not their own, and they harvest a vineyard that they have taken by force.
They cut their provender in the field, and they glean the vintage of the wicked.
7 They send men away naked, having taken the clothing of those who have no covering in the cold;
They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
8 these are wet with the mountain rain, and, having no covering, they embrace the rocks.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 They have used violence to deprive orphans, and they have robbed the poor common people.
There are men who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
10 From the naked and those who do not have enough clothing, and from the hungry, they have taken away sheaves of grain.
so that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves.
11 They take their midday rest among the stockpiles of those who, though they have trodden the winepresses, suffer thirst.
They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 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.
From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded cries out. Yet God does not regard the folly.
13 They have been rebellious against the light; they have not known his ways, nor have they returned by his paths.
These are of those who rebel against the light. They do not know the ways of it, nor abide in the paths of it.
14 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.
The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. And in the night he is as a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer waits for darkness, saying, “No eye will see me,” and he covers his face.
The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. And he disguises his face.
16 He passes through houses in the nighttime, just as they had agreed among themselves in the daytime; and they are ignorant of the light.
In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They do not know the light.
17 If sunrise should suddenly appear, it is treated by them like the shadow of death; and they walk in darkness, as if in light.
For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness. For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
18 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.
Swiftly they pass away upon the face of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They do not turn into the way of the vineyards.
19 May he cross from the snowy waters to excessive heat, and his sin, all the way to hell. (Sheol h7585)
Drought and heat consume the snow waters, and Sheol those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 Let mercy forget him. His charm is worms. Let him not be remembered, but instead be broken like an unfruitful tree.
The womb shall forget him. The worm shall feed sweetly on him. He shall be no more remembered. And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.
21 For he has fed on the barren, who does not bear fruit, and he has not done good to the widow.
He devours the barren who do not bear, and does no good to the widow.
22 He has pulled down the strong by his strength, and, when he stands up, he will not have trust in his life.
Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
23 God has given him a place for repentance, and he abuses it with arrogance, but his eyes are upon his ways.
God gives them to be in security, and they rest in it. And his eyes are upon their ways.
24 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.
They are exalted. Yet a little while, and they are gone. Yea, 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.
25 But, if this is not so, who is able to prove to me that I have lied and to place my words before God?
And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?
