Job 24
1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?
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?
2 There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them.
The wicked move boundary stones; they seize other people's flocks and move them to their own pastures.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They steal the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as security for a debt.
4 They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
They push the poor out of their way; the destitute are forced to hide from them.
5 Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; the desert yieldeth them bread for their children.
Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor have to scavenge for their food, looking for anything to feed their children in the wasteland.
6 They cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.
They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
They spend the night naked because they have no clothes; they have nothing to cover themselves against the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
They are soaked by the cold mountain storms, and huddle beside the rocks for shelter.
9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;
Fatherless children are snatched from their mother's breasts, taking the babies of the poor as security for a debt.
10 So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves;
Because they have no clothes to wear they have to go naked, harvesting sheaves of grain while they themselves are hungry.
11 They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
In the olive groves they work to produce oil, but do not taste it; they tread the winepress, but are thirsty.
12 From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; yet God imputeth it not for unseemliness.
In the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry for help, but God ignores their prayers.
13 These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
These are people who rebel against the light. They do not want to know its ways, or to stay on its paths.
14 The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as a thief.
The murderer gets up at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and when night falls he becomes a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying: 'No eye shall see me'; and he putteth a covering on his face.
The adulterer waits for dusk, saying to himself, ‘No one will see me now,’ and he covers his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light.
Thieves break into houses during the night and they sleep during the day. They don't even know what the light is like!
17 For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; for they know the terrors of the shadow of death.
Total darkness is like light to them, for they are familiar with the night.
18 He is swift upon the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; he turneth not by the way of the vineyards.
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.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Just as heat and drought dry up snowmelt, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (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.
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.
21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.
They mistreat childless women and are mean to widows.
22 He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.
God prolongs the life of the wicked by his power; but when they arise, they have no assurance of life.
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways.
He supports them and gives them security, but he is always watching what they're doing.
24 They are exalted for a little while, and they are gone; yea, they are brought low, they are gathered in as all others, and wither as the tops of the ears of corn.
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.
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
If this isn't so, who can prove I'm a liar and there's nothing to what I say?”
