Job 24
1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
3 They drive away the donkey 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 donkeys in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and 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 reap every one his provender in the field: and they gather the vintage 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 cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they 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 They 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 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
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 They are of those 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 rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night 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 disguiseth 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, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: 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 morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in 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 as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not 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 grave those which have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Drought and heat, steal away snow water, Hades, them who have sinned. (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.
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 evil entreateth 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 also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of 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, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the heads of grain.
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 make 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?
