Job 24
1 Why doesn't the Almighty set a definite time to punish the wicked? Why don't those who follow him never see him act in judgment?
“For this reason from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
2 The wicked move boundary stones; they seize other people's flocks and move them to their own pastures.
They reach the borders, They have taken a drove away violently, Indeed, they do evil.
3 They steal the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as security for a debt.
They lead away the donkey of the fatherless, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
4 They push the poor out of their way; the destitute are forced to hide from them.
They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
5 Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor have to scavenge for their food, looking for anything to feed their children in the wasteland.
Behold, wild donkeys in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself—food for young ones.
6 They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
They reap his provender in a field, And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 They spend the night naked because they have no clothes; they have nothing to cover themselves against the cold.
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
8 They are soaked by the cold mountain storms, and huddle beside the rocks for shelter.
From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge—have embraced a rock.
9 Fatherless children are snatched from their mother's breasts, taking the babies of the poor as security for a debt.
They take away violently The orphan from the breast, And they lay a pledge on the poor.
10 Because they have no clothes to wear they have to go naked, harvesting sheaves of grain while they themselves are hungry.
Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry—have taken away a sheaf.
11 In the olive groves they work to produce oil, but do not taste it; they tread the winepress, but are thirsty.
They make oil between their walls, They have trodden winepresses, and thirst.
12 In the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry for help, but God ignores their prayers.
Men groan because of enmity, And the soul of pierced ones cries, And God does not give praise.
13 These are people who rebel against the light. They do not want to know its ways, or to stay on its paths.
They have been those rebelling against light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abided in His paths.
14 The murderer gets up at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and when night falls he becomes a thief.
The murderer rises at the light, He slays the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief.
15 The adulterer waits for dusk, saying to himself, ‘No one will see me now,’ and he covers his face.
And the eye of an adulterer Has observed the twilight, Saying, No eye beholds me. And he puts the face in secret.
16 Thieves break into houses during the night and they sleep during the day. They don't even know what the light is like!
He has dug in the darkness—houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
17 Total darkness is like light to them, for they are familiar with the night.
When together, morning [is] death-shade to them, When he discerns the terrors of death-shade.
18 Like bubbles on the surface of a river they are quickly carried away. The land they own is cursed by God. They don't enter their own vineyards.
He [is] light on the face of the waters, Their portion is vilified in the earth, He does not turn the way of vineyards.
19 Just as heat and drought dry up snowmelt, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Drought—also heat—consume snow-waters, Sheol—[those who] have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 Even their mothers forget them, maggots feast on them, they are no longer remembered, and their wickedness becomes like a tree that is broken into pieces.
The womb forgets him, The worm sweetens [on] him, He is remembered no more, And wickedness is broken as a tree.
21 They mistreat childless women and are mean to widows.
Treating evil the barren [who] does not bear, And he does no good [to] the widow,
22 God prolongs the life of the wicked by his power; but when they arise, they have no assurance of life.
And [God] has drawn the mighty by His power, He rises, and none believes in life.
23 He supports them and gives them security, but he is always watching what they're doing.
He gives to him confidence, and he is supported, And His eyes [are] on their ways.
24 Though they may be illustrious for a while, soon they are gone. They are brought down like all others, cut off like the heads of grain.
They were high [for] a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. They are shut up as all [others], And cut off as the head of an ear of grain.
25 If this isn't so, who can prove I'm a liar and there's nothing to what I say?”
And if not now, who proves me a liar, And makes my word of nothing?”
