Job 24
1 “For this reason from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do those who know him not see his days?
2 They reach the borders, They have taken a drove away violently, Indeed, they do evil.
There are men who remove the landmarks. They take away flocks violently, and feed them.
3 They lead away the donkey of the fatherless, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5 Behold, wild donkeys in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself—food for young ones.
Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their sons.
6 They reap his provender in a field, And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.
They cut their provender in the field, and they glean the vintage of the wicked.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
8 From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge—have embraced a rock.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 They take away violently The orphan from the breast, And they lay a pledge on the poor.
There are men who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
10 Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry—have taken away a sheaf.
so that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves.
11 They make oil between their walls, They have trodden winepresses, and thirst.
They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Men groan because of enmity, And the soul of pierced ones cries, And God does not give praise.
From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded cries out. Yet God does not regard the folly.
13 They have been those rebelling against light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abided in His paths.
These are of those who rebel against the light. They do not know the ways of it, nor abide in the paths of it.
14 The murderer rises at the light, He slays the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief.
The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. And in the night he is as a thief.
15 And the eye of an adulterer Has observed the twilight, Saying, No eye beholds me. And he puts the face in secret.
The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. And he disguises his face.
16 He has dug in the darkness—houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They do not know the light.
17 When together, morning [is] death-shade to them, When he discerns the terrors of death-shade.
For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness. For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
18 He [is] light on the face of the waters, Their portion is vilified in the earth, He does not turn the way of vineyards.
Swiftly they pass away upon the face of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They do not turn into the way of the vineyards.
Drought and heat consume the snow waters, and Sheol those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb forgets him, The worm sweetens [on] him, He is remembered no more, And wickedness is broken as a tree.
The womb shall forget him. The worm shall feed sweetly on him. He shall be no more remembered. And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.
21 Treating evil the barren [who] does not bear, And he does no good [to] the widow,
He devours the barren who do not bear, and does no good to the widow.
22 And [God] has drawn the mighty by His power, He rises, and none believes in life.
Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
23 He gives to him confidence, and he is supported, And His eyes [are] on their ways.
God gives them to be in security, and they rest in it. And his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They were high [for] a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. They are shut up as all [others], And cut off as the head of an ear of grain.
They are exalted. Yet a little while, and they are gone. Yea, they are brought low. They are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.
25 And if not now, who proves me a liar, And makes my word of nothing?”
And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?
