Job 24
1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
Why are not times treasured up by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him see his days?
2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, and pasture them.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, And take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
They push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yields food for them and for their children.
Behold, like wild asses of the desert, they go forth to their work; They search for prey; The wilderness supplieth them food for their children.
6 They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
They are drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of shelter.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
The fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
They make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet suffer thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded cries out: yet God lays not folly to them.
From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not their prayer!
13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its paths.
14 The murderer rising with the light kills the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; In the night he is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguises his face.
The eye of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight; He saith, “No eye will see me,” And putteth a mask upon his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
In the dark they break into houses; In the daytime they shut themselves up; They are strangers to the light.
17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
The morning is to them the very shadow of death; They are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholds not the way of the vineyards.
Light are they on the face of the waters; They have an accursed portion in the earth; They come not near the vineyards.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so does the grave those which have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
As drought and heat consume the snow waters, So doth the grave the wicked. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
His own mother forgetteth him; The worm feedeth sweetly on him; He is no more remembered, And iniquity is broken like a tree.
21 He evil entreats the barren that bears not: and does not good to the widow.
He oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, And doeth not good to the widow.
22 He draws also the mighty with his power: he rises up, and no man is sure of life.
He taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, where on he rests; yet his eyes are on their ways.
God giveth them security, so that they are confident; His eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
They are exalted; —in a little while they are gone! They are brought low, and die, like all others; And like the topmost ears of corn are they cut off.
25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
