Job 24
1 Why are not times [of punishment] treasured up by the Almighty, and why do his adorers not see his days [of retribution]?
“(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 [The wicked] remove landmarks: they rob 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 in pledge the widow's ox.
[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 chase the needy out of the highway: altogether hide themselves the poor of the earth.
[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 go they forth to their work, rising betimes after [their] prey: the desert yieldeth food for them and for their young men.
The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
6 In the field they reap their food; and in the vineyard of the wicked they gather the fruit.
The poor people harvest left-over grain in other people’s fields, and gather grapes from vineyards that belong to wicked men.
7 They cause [the poor] to spend the night naked, without clothing and without any covering in the cold.
During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
8 Through the sweeping rain of the mountains are they made wet, and for want of a shelter do they embrace the rock.
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 The others pluck from the breast the fatherless, and the garment of the poor they take in pledge.
[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 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and from the hungry they take away the sheaf:
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 Within their walls do they make oil, they tread their wine-presses, 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 Out of a populous city is groaning heard, and the soul of the deadly wounded crieth out: yet God regardeth it not as an offence.
In the cities, people who are wounded and dying cry out [to God for help], but God does not heed their prayers.
13 Yon men are of those that rebel against the light: they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths.
Some wicked people avoid the light [because they do evil things in the dark]; they do not walk on roads that are lighted.
14 With the earliest light riseth the murderer, he slayeth the poor and needy, and in the night he becometh like the 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 And the eye of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight, saying, No eye will see me; and placeth 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 They break into houses in the dark, in the daytime they lock themselves in: 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 to all of these alike is the morning as the shadow of death; for they are familiar with 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 Swift are such men [to flee] on the face of the water; accursed is their field on the land; none of them turneth himself to 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 speedily consume the snow-waters: so doth the grave those who 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 mother that bore such a one will forget him; the worm will feed sweetly on him; he will be no more remembered; and like a tree will wickedness be broken.
Not even their mothers remember them now; wicked people are destroyed like trees that are cut down, and maggots eat their corpses.
21 He ill-treateth the barren that heareth not; and to the widow he acteth not well.
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 But he also draweth down the mighty with his power: he riseth up, no one is sure of life.
But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
23 To such [God] granteth to be in safety, that he may find support; and 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; in but a little while they are no more; and they are brought down low: like all others are they gathered in, and like the top of the ear of corn are they cut off.
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 But if it be not so, who will prove me a liar, and render nought my word?
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?”
