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 not times treasured up with the Almighty? why do not they that know him see his days?
2 They reach the borders, They have taken a drove away violently, Indeed, they do evil.
They remove the landmarks; they violently take away the flocks and pasture them;
3 They lead away the donkey of the fatherless, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
They drive away the ass 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 afflicted of the land 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.
Lo, [as] wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking early for the prey: the wilderness [yieldeth] them food for [their] children.
6 They reap his provender in a field, And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.
They reap in the field the fodder thereof, and they gather the vintage of the wicked;
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
They pass the 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 for want of a shelter embrace the rock...
9 They take away violently The orphan from the breast, And they lay a pledge on the poor.
They 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.
These go naked without clothing, and, hungry, they bear the sheaf;
11 They make oil between their walls, They have trodden winepresses, and thirst.
They press out oil within their walls, 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.
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; and God imputeth not the impiety.
13 They have been those rebelling against light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abided in His paths.
There are those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 The murderer rises at the light, He slays the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief.
The murderer riseth with the light, killeth the afflicted and needy, and in the night 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.
And the eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me; and he putteth a covering on [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; by day they shut themselves in; they know not the light:
17 When together, morning [is] death-shade to them, When he discerns the terrors of death-shade.
For the morning is to them all [as] the shadow of death; for they are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
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.
He is swift on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed on the earth: he turneth not unto the way of the vineyards.
Drought and heat consume snow waters; so doth Sheol those that 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 forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him: he shall be no more remembered; and unrighteousness is broken as a tree, —
21 Treating evil the barren [who] does not bear, And he does no good [to] the widow,
He that despoileth the barren that beareth not, and doeth not good to the widow:
22 And [God] has drawn the mighty by His power, He rises, and none believes in life.
He draweth also the mighty with his power; he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.
23 He gives to him confidence, and he is supported, And His eyes [are] on their ways.
[God] setteth him in safety, and he resteth thereon; but 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 for a little, and are no more; they are laid low; like all [other] are they gathered, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 And if not now, who proves me a liar, And makes my word of nothing?”
If it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
