Job 24
1 Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.
“(Why does Almighty [God] not set a time when he will judge [evil people]?/I do not understand why Almighty [God does] not set a time when he will judge [evil people].) [RHQ] Those who know him never [RHQ] see him do that!
2 Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
[Some evil people] remove the markers of boundaries of [other people’s] land, [in order to steal their land]; they seize/steal [other people’s] sheep and put them in their own pastures.
3 They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away the widow’s ox for a pledge.
[Some] (take away/steal) the donkeys that belong to orphans, and they take widow’s oxen to guarantee that the widows will pay back the money that they loaned to those widows.
4 They have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
[Some] shove poor people off the road (OR, prevent poor people from (obtaining their rights/being treated justly)), and they force poor people to find places to hide from them.
5 Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get bread for their children.
The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
6 They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
The poor people harvest left-over grain in other people’s fields, and gather grapes from vineyards that belong to wicked men.
7 They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:
During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
8 Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
When it rains on the mountains, the poor people become very wet, so they huddle under the rock ledges to be protected [from the rain].
9 They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
[Some evil men] snatch infants away from their widowed mothers [SYN], and they say ‘I will return your babies to you when you repay the money that I lent to you.’
10 From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
But the poor people walk around with no clothes on; they are hungry while they are working to carry [other people’s] bundles of grain [to the places where their grain will be threshed].
11 They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.
Poor people press olives to make [olive] oil; they tread on grapes [to make juice for wine], but [they are not allowed to drink any of it when] they become thirsty.
12 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.
In the cities, people who are wounded and dying cry out [to God for help], but God does not heed their prayers.
13 They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.
Some wicked people avoid the light [because they do evil things in the dark]; they do not walk on roads that are lighted.
14 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.
Murderers steal things during the night, and then they arise before dawn in order that they may [go out again and] kill needy [DOU] people.
15 The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
Those who want to commit adultery wait for twilight/evening; they say ‘I do not want anyone to see me,’ so they keep their faces covered.
16 He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known the light.
It is during the night that robbers break into houses [to steal things], but during the day they hide because they want to avoid [being seen in] the light.
17 If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.
All of those [people] want to do their evil things at night, not in the morning [when it is light], because they are not afraid of [the things that happen during the] night that terrify others.”
18 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.
“[But it is wicked people] who are swept/carried away by floods, and God curses the land that they own, and no one goes to work in their vineyards.
Just like the snow melts away when it is hot and there is no rain, those who have sinned disappear into the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
20 Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful tree.
Not even their mothers remember them now; wicked people are destroyed like trees that are cut down, and maggots eat their corpses.
21 For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
They mistreat women who have been unable to give birth to children and women who no longer have children [to take care of them], and they never do good things for widows.
22 He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.
But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
23 God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his ways.
God allows them to think that they are secure and safe, but he is watching [MTY] them all the time.
24 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.
They prosper for a little while, and then [suddenly] they are gone; they disappear like weeds wither and die; they are like [SIM] stalks of grain that have been cut off.
25 And if it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
If this is not true, is there [RHQ] anyone who will show that I am a liar and prove that what I have said is not true?”
