Job 24
1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
“Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment? Why may those who know Him never see His days?
2 [Some] remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed [thereof].
Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
5 Behold, [as] wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness [yieldeth] food for them [and] for [their] children.
Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go to work foraging for food; the wasteland is food for their children.
6 They reap [every one] his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that [they have] no covering in the cold.
Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.
10 They cause [him] to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf [from] the hungry;
Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
11 [Which] make oil within their walls, [and] tread [their] winepresses, and suffer thirst.
They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly [to them].
From the city, men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.
13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
Then there are those who rebel against the light, not knowing its ways or staying on its paths.
14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth [his] face.
The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers 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 dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience 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 to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!
18 He [is] swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: [so doth] the grave [those which] have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
As drought and heat consume the melting snow, so Sheol steals those 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.
The womb forgets them; the worm feeds on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is like a broken tree.
21 He evil entreateth the barren [that] beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
They prey on the barren and childless, and show no kindness to the widow.
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.
Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life.
23 [Though] it be given him [to be] in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes [are] upon their ways.
He gives them a sense of security, but His eyes are on 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 for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.
25 And if [it be] not [so] now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?”
