Job 24
1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?
“(Why does Almighty [God] not set a time when he will judge [evil people]?/I do not understand why Almighty [God does] not set a time when he will judge [evil people].) [RHQ] Those who know him never [RHQ] see him do that!
2 There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them.
[Some evil people] remove the markers of boundaries of [other people’s] land, [in order to steal their land]; they seize/steal [other people’s] sheep and put them in their own pastures.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
[Some] (take away/steal) the donkeys that belong to orphans, and they take widow’s oxen to guarantee that the widows will pay back the money that they loaned to those widows.
4 They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
[Some] shove poor people off the road (OR, prevent poor people from (obtaining their rights/being treated justly)), and they force poor people to find places 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.
The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
6 They cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.
The poor people harvest left-over grain in other people’s fields, and gather grapes from vineyards that belong to wicked men.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
When it rains on the mountains, the poor people become very wet, so they huddle under the rock ledges to be protected [from the rain].
9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;
[Some evil men] snatch infants away from their widowed mothers [SYN], and they say ‘I will return your babies to you when you repay the money that I lent to you.’
10 So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves;
But the poor people walk around with no clothes on; they are hungry while they are working to carry [other people’s] bundles of grain [to the places where their grain will be threshed].
11 They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Poor people press olives to make [olive] oil; they tread on grapes [to make juice for wine], but [they are not allowed to drink any of it when] they become 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 cities, people who are wounded and dying cry out [to God for help], but God does not heed their prayers.
13 These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
Some wicked people avoid the light [because they do evil things in the dark]; they do not walk on roads that are lighted.
14 The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as a thief.
Murderers steal things during the night, and then they arise before dawn in order that they may [go out again and] kill needy [DOU] people.
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.
Those who want to commit adultery wait for twilight/evening; they say ‘I do not want anyone to see me,’ so they keep their faces covered.
16 In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light.
It is during the night that robbers break into houses [to steal things], but during the day they hide because they want to avoid [being seen in] 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.
All of those [people] want to do their evil things at night, not in the morning [when it is light], because they are not afraid of [the things that happen during the] night that terrify others.”
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.
“[But it is wicked people] who are swept/carried away by floods, and God curses the land that they own, and no one goes to work in their vineyards.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Just like the snow melts away when it is hot and there is no rain, those who have sinned disappear into the place where dead people are. (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.
Not even their mothers remember them now; wicked people are destroyed like trees that are cut down, and maggots eat their corpses.
21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.
They mistreat women who have been unable to give birth to children and women who no longer have children [to take care of them], and they never do good things for widows.
22 He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.
But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways.
God allows them to think that they are secure and safe, but he is watching [MTY] them all the time.
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 prosper for a little while, and then [suddenly] they are gone; they disappear like weeds wither and die; they are like [SIM] stalks of grain that have been cut off.
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
If this is not true, is there [RHQ] anyone who will show that I am a liar and prove that what I have said is not true?”
