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?
| מַדּוּעַ מִשַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנוּ עִתִּים וְיֹדְעָו לֹא־חָזוּ יָמָֽיו׃ |
2 The wicked move boundary stones; they seize other people's flocks and move them to their own pastures.
| גְּבֻלוֹת יַשִּׂיגוּ עֵדֶר גָּזְלוּ וַיִּרְעֽוּ׃ |
3 They steal the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as security for a debt.
| חֲמוֹר יְתוֹמִים יִנְהָגוּ יַחְבְּלוּ שׁוֹר אַלְמָנָֽה׃ |
4 They push the poor out of their way; the destitute are forced to hide from them.
| יַטּוּ אֶבְיֹנִים מִדָּרֶךְ יַחַד חֻבְּאוּ עֲנִיֵּי־אָֽרֶץ׃ |
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.
| הֵן פְּרָאִים ׀ בַּמִּדְבָּר יָצְאוּ בְּפׇעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵי לַטָּרֶף עֲרָבָה לוֹ לֶחֶם לַנְּעָרִֽים׃ |
6 They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
| בַּשָּׂדֶה בְּלִילוֹ (יקצירו) [יִקְצוֹרוּ] וְכֶרֶם רָשָׁע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃ |
7 They spend the night naked because they have no clothes; they have nothing to cover themselves against the cold.
| עָרוֹם יָלִינוּ מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת בַּקָּרָֽה׃ |
8 They are soaked by the cold mountain storms, and huddle beside the rocks for shelter.
| מִזֶּרֶם הָרִים יִרְטָבוּ וּֽמִבְּלִי מַחְסֶה חִבְּקוּ־צֽוּר׃ |
9 Fatherless children are snatched from their mother's breasts, taking the babies of the poor as security for a debt.
| יִגְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁד יָתוֹם וְֽעַל־עָנִי יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃ |
10 Because they have no clothes to wear they have to go naked, harvesting sheaves of grain while they themselves are hungry.
| עָרוֹם הִלְּכוּ בְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וּרְעֵבִים נָשְׂאוּ עֹֽמֶר׃ |
11 In the olive groves they work to produce oil, but do not taste it; they tread the winepress, but are thirsty.
| בֵּין־שׁוּרֹתָם יַצְהִירוּ יְקָבִים דָּרְכוּ וַיִּצְמָֽאוּ׃ |
12 In the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry for help, but God ignores their prayers.
| מֵעִיר מְתִים ׀ יִנְאָקוּ וְנֶֽפֶשׁ־חֲלָלִים תְּשַׁוֵּעַ וֶאֱלוֹהַּ לֹֽא־יָשִׂים תִּפְלָֽה׃ |
13 These are people who rebel against the light. They do not want to know its ways, or to stay on its paths.
| הֵמָּה ׀ הָיוּ בְּֽמֹרְדֵי ־ אוֹר לֹא־הִכִּירוּ דְרָכָיו וְלֹא יָשְׁבוּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃ |
14 The murderer gets up at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and when night falls he becomes a thief.
| לָאוֹר יָקוּם רוֹצֵחַ יִֽקְטׇל־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן וּבַלַּיְלָה יְהִי כַגַּנָּֽב׃ |
15 The adulterer waits for dusk, saying to himself, ‘No one will see me now,’ and he covers his face.
| וְעֵין נֹאֵף ׀ שָׁמְרָֽה נֶשֶׁף לֵאמֹר לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עָיִן וְסֵתֶר פָּנִים יָשִֽׂים׃ |
16 Thieves break into houses during the night and they sleep during the day. They don't even know what the light is like!
| חָתַר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ בָּתִּים יוֹמָם חִתְּמוּ־לָמוֹ לֹא־יָדְעוּ אֽוֹר׃ |
17 Total darkness is like light to them, for they are familiar with the night.
| כִּי יַחְדָּו ׀ בֹּקֶר לָמוֹ צַלְמָוֶת כִּֽי־יַכִּיר בַּלְהוֹת צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ |
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.
| קַל־הוּא ׀ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם תְּקֻלַּל חֶלְקָתָם בָּאָרֶץ לֹא־יִפְנֶה דֶּרֶךְ כְּרָמִֽים׃ |
19 Just as heat and drought dry up snowmelt, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
| צִיָּה גַם־חֹם יִגְזְלוּ מֵֽימֵי־שֶׁלֶג שְׁאוֹל חָטָֽאוּ׃ (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.
| יִשְׁכָּחֵהוּ רֶחֶם ׀ מְתָקוֹ רִמָּה עוֹד לֹֽא־יִזָּכֵר וַתִּשָּׁבֵר כָּעֵץ עַוְלָֽה׃ |
21 They mistreat childless women and are mean to widows.
| רֹעֶה עֲקָרָה לֹא תֵלֵד וְאַלְמָנָה לֹא יְיֵטִֽיב׃ |
22 God prolongs the life of the wicked by his power; but when they arise, they have no assurance of life.
| וּמָשַׁךְ אַבִּירִים בְּכֹחוֹ יָקוּם וְֽלֹא־יַאֲמִין בַּֽחַיִּֽין׃ |
23 He supports them and gives them security, but he is always watching what they're doing.
| יִתֶּן־לוֹ לָבֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵן וְעֵינֵיהוּ עַל־דַּרְכֵיהֶֽם׃ |
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.
| רוֹמּוּ מְּעַט ׀ וְֽאֵינֶנּוּ וְֽהֻמְּכוּ כַּכֹּל יִקָּפְצוּן וּכְרֹאשׁ שִׁבֹּלֶת יִמָּֽלוּ׃ |
25 If this isn't so, who can prove I'm a liar and there's nothing to what I say?”
| וְאִם־לֹא אֵפוֹ מִי יַכְזִיבֵנִי וְיָשֵׂם לְאַל מִלָּתִֽי׃ |
