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?
Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies.
2 The wicked move boundary stones; they seize other people's flocks and move them to their own pastures.
Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho.
3 They steal the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as security for a debt.
Thei driueden awei the asse of fadirlesse children, and token awei the cow of a widewe for a wed.
4 They push the poor out of their way; the destitute are forced to hide from them.
Thei distrieden the weie of pore men, and thei oppressiden togidere the mylde men of erthe.
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.
Othere men as wielde assis in deseert goon out to her werk; and thei waken to prey, and bifor maken redy breed to her children.
6 They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
Thei kitten doun a feeld not hern, and thei gaderen grapis of his vyner, whom thei han oppressid bi violence.
7 They spend the night naked because they have no clothes; they have nothing to cover themselves against the cold.
Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold;
8 They are soaked by the cold mountain storms, and huddle beside the rocks for shelter.
whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys.
9 Fatherless children are snatched from their mother's breasts, taking the babies of the poor as security for a debt.
Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, `ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men.
10 Because they have no clothes to wear they have to go naked, harvesting sheaves of grain while they themselves are hungry.
Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men.
11 In the olive groves they work to produce oil, but do not taste it; they tread the winepress, but are thirsty.
Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun.
12 In the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry for help, but God ignores their prayers.
Thei maden men of citees to weile, and the soulis of woundid men schulen crye; and God suffrith it not to go awei vnpunyschid.
13 These are people who rebel against the light. They do not want to know its ways, or to stay on its paths.
Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof.
14 The murderer gets up at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and when night falls he becomes a thief.
A mansleere risith ful eerli, and sleeth a nedi man, and a pore man; sotheli bi nyyt he schal be as a nyyt theef.
15 The adulterer waits for dusk, saying to himself, ‘No one will see me now,’ and he covers his face.
The iye of avouter kepith derknesse, and seith, An yye schal not se me; and he schal hile his face.
16 Thieves break into houses during the night and they sleep during the day. They don't even know what the light is like!
Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt.
17 Total darkness is like light to them, for they are familiar with the night.
If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt.
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 vnstablere than the face of the water; his part in erthe be cursid, and go he not bi the weie of vyneris.
19 Just as heat and drought dry up snowmelt, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Passe he to ful greet heete fro the watris of snowis, and the synne of hym `til to hellis. (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.
Merci foryete hym; his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as `a tre vnfruytful.
21 They mistreat childless women and are mean to widows.
For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe.
22 God prolongs the life of the wicked by his power; but when they arise, they have no assurance of life.
He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in `greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf.
23 He supports them and gives them security, but he is always watching what they're doing.
God yaf to hym place of penaunce, and he mysusith that in to pride; for the iyen of God ben in the weies of that man.
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.
Thei ben reisid at a litil, and thei schulen not stonde; and thei schulen be maad low as alle thingis, and thei schulen be takun awei; and as the hyynessis of eeris of corn thei schulen be al to-brokun.
25 If this isn't so, who can prove I'm a liar and there's nothing to what I say?”
That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God?
