Job 24
1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?
Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
2 There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them.
Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, 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 out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
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.
Lo! [as] wild asses in the wilderness, they go forth with their work, eager seekers for prey, the waste plain, yieldeth them food for their young;
6 They cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.
In the field—a man’s fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.
9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;
Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
10 So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves;
Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
11 They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet 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.
Out of the city—out of the houses, they make outcry. and, the soul of the wounded, calleth for help, and, GOD, doth not regard it as foolish.
13 These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
They, have become rebels against the light, —they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
14 The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as a thief.
With the light, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like 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 the adulterer, watcheth for the evening twilight, saying, Not an eye will see me! A covering for the face, he putteth on;
16 In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light.
He breaketh, in the dark, into houses, —By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the 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.
For, in the case of all such, morning to them is the death-shade, For, to be recognised, is a death-shade terror.
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.
Swift is he on the face of the waters, Speedily vanished their share in the land, He turneth not to the way of the vineyards.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Drought and heat, steal away snow water, Hades, them 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.
Maternal love shall forget him, the worm shall find him sweet, No more shall he be remembered, but perversity shall be shivered like a tree.
21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.
He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
22 He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.
Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways.
It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon 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 are exalted a little, and are not, Yea having been laid low, like all men, are they gathered, Even as the top of an ear of corn, do they hang down.
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
