Job 24
1 “For this reason from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.
2 They reach the borders, They have taken a drove away violently, Indeed, they do evil.
Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
3 They lead away the donkey of the fatherless, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away 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 have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
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.
Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get bread for their children.
6 They reap his provender in a field, And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.
They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:
8 From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge—have embraced a rock.
Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
9 They take away violently The orphan from the breast, And they lay a pledge on the poor.
They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
10 Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry—have taken away a sheaf.
From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
11 They make oil between their walls, They have trodden winepresses, and thirst.
They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.
12 Men groan because of enmity, And the soul of pierced ones cries, And God does not give praise.
Out of the cities they have made men to groan, and the soul of the wounded hath cried out, and God doth not suffer it to pass unrevenged.
13 They have been those rebelling against light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abided in His paths.
They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.
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 at the very break of day, he killeth the needy, and the poor man: but in the night he will be 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 of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
16 He has dug in the darkness—houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known the light.
17 When together, morning [is] death-shade to them, When he discerns the terrors of death-shade.
If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.
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 light upon the face of the water: cursed be his portion on the earth, let him not walk by the way of the vineyards.
Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat, and his sin even to hell. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb forgets him, The worm sweetens [on] him, He is remembered no more, And wickedness is broken as a tree.
Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful tree.
21 Treating evil the barren [who] does not bear, And he does no good [to] the widow,
For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
22 And [God] has drawn the mighty by His power, He rises, and none believes in life.
He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.
23 He gives to him confidence, and he is supported, And His eyes [are] on their ways.
God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his 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 lifted up for a little while and shall not stand, and shall be brought down as all things, and shall be taken away, and as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be broken.
25 And if not now, who proves me a liar, And makes my word of nothing?”
And if it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
