Job 24
1 Why are not times treasured up with the Almighty? why do not they that know him see his days?
Why are not times treasured up by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him see his days?
2 They remove the landmarks; they violently take away the flocks and pasture them;
They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, and pasture them.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge;
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, And take 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 push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
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.
Behold, like wild asses of the desert, they go forth to their work; They search for prey; The wilderness supplieth them food for their children.
6 They reap in the field the fodder thereof, and they gather the vintage of the wicked;
In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
7 They pass the night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and for want of a shelter embrace the rock...
They are drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of shelter.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor:
The fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
10 These go naked without clothing, and, hungry, they bear the sheaf;
They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
11 They press out oil within their walls, they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
They make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet suffer thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; and God imputeth not the impiety.
From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not their prayer!
13 There are those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its paths.
14 The murderer riseth with the light, killeth the afflicted and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; In the night he is 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 watcheth for the twilight; He saith, “No eye will see me,” And putteth a mask upon his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in; they know not the light:
In the dark they break into houses; In the daytime they shut themselves up; They are strangers to 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.
The morning is to them the very shadow of death; They are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
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.
Light are they on the face of the waters; They have an accursed portion in the earth; They come not near the vineyards.
As drought and heat consume the snow waters, So doth the grave the wicked. (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, —
His own mother forgetteth him; The worm feedeth sweetly on him; He is no more remembered, And iniquity is broken like a tree.
21 He that despoileth the barren that beareth not, and doeth not good to the widow:
He oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, And doeth not good to the widow.
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power; he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.
He taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
23 [God] setteth him in safety, and he resteth thereon; but his eyes are upon their ways.
God giveth them security, so that they are confident; His eyes are upon their 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 exalted; —in a little while they are gone! They are brought low, and die, like all others; And like the topmost ears of corn are they cut off.
25 If it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
