Job 24
1 Why are not times treasured up with the Almighty? why do not they that know him see his days?
Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.
2 They remove the landmarks; they violently take away the flocks and pasture them;
Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge;
They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the afflicted of the land all hide themselves.
They have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
5 Lo, [as] wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking early for the prey: the wilderness [yieldeth] them food for [their] children.
Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get bread for their children.
6 They reap in the field the fodder thereof, and they gather the vintage of the wicked;
They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
7 They pass the night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and for want of a shelter embrace the rock...
Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor:
They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
10 These go naked without clothing, and, hungry, they bear the sheaf;
From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
11 They press out oil within their walls, they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; and God imputeth not the impiety.
Out of the cities they have made men to groan, and the soul of the wounded hath cried out, and God doth not suffer it to pass unrevenged.
13 There are those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.
14 The murderer riseth with the light, killeth the afflicted and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
The murderer riseth at the very break of day, he killeth the needy, and the poor man: but in the night he will be as a thief.
15 And the eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me; and he putteth a covering on [his] face.
The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in; they know not the light:
He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known the light.
17 For the morning is to them all [as] the shadow of death; for they are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.
18 He is swift on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed on the earth: he turneth not unto the way of the vineyards.
He is light upon the face of the water: cursed be his portion on the earth, let him not walk by the way of the vineyards.
Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat, and his sin even to hell. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him: he shall be no more remembered; and unrighteousness is broken as a tree, —
Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful tree.
21 He that despoileth the barren that beareth not, and doeth not good to the widow:
For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power; he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.
He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.
23 [God] setteth him in safety, and he resteth thereon; but his eyes are upon their ways.
God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his ways.
24 They are exalted for a little, and are no more; they are laid low; like all [other] are they gathered, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
They are lifted up for a little while and shall not stand, and shall be brought down as all things, and shall be taken away, and as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be broken.
25 If it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
And if it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
