Job 24
1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?
“For this reason from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
2 There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them.
They reach the borders, They have taken a drove away violently, Indeed, they do evil.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They lead away the donkey of the fatherless, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
4 They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
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.
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 cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.
They reap his provender in a field, And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge—have embraced a rock.
9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;
They take away violently The orphan from the breast, And they lay a pledge on the poor.
10 So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves;
Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry—have taken away a sheaf.
11 They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
They make oil between their walls, They have trodden winepresses, and thirst.
12 From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; yet God imputeth it not for unseemliness.
Men groan because of enmity, And the soul of pierced ones cries, And God does not give praise.
13 These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
They have been those rebelling against light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abided in His 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 rises at the light, He slays the poor and needy, And in the night he is as 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.
And the eye of an adulterer Has observed the twilight, Saying, No eye beholds me. And he puts the face in secret.
16 In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light.
He has dug in the darkness—houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
17 For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; for they know the terrors of the shadow of death.
When together, morning [is] death-shade to them, When he discerns the terrors of death-shade.
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.
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 Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Drought—also heat—consume snow-waters, Sheol—[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.
The womb forgets him, The worm sweetens [on] him, He is remembered no more, And wickedness is broken as a tree.
21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.
Treating evil the barren [who] does not bear, And he does no good [to] the widow,
22 He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.
And [God] has drawn the mighty by His power, He rises, and none believes in life.
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways.
He gives to him confidence, and he is supported, And His eyes [are] on their ways.
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.
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 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
And if not now, who proves me a liar, And makes my word of nothing?”
