Job 24
1 Why are not times treasured up by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him see his days?
“Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment? Why may those who know Him never see His days?
2 They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, and pasture them.
Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, And 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 push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
5 Behold, like wild asses of the desert, they go forth to their work; They search for prey; The wilderness supplieth them food 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 In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.
7 They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from the cold.
Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
8 They are drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of shelter.
Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.
9 The fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.
10 They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
11 They make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet suffer thirst.
They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.
12 From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not their prayer!
From the city, men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.
13 Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its paths.
Then there are those who rebel against the light, not knowing its ways or staying on its paths.
14 With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; In the night he 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 of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight; He saith, “No eye will see me,” And putteth a mask upon 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 break into houses; In the daytime they shut themselves up; They are strangers to the light.
In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light.
17 The morning is to them the very shadow of death; They are familiar with 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 Light are they on the face of the waters; They have an accursed portion in the earth; They come not near 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.
As drought and heat consume the melting snow, so Sheol steals those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 His own mother forgetteth him; The worm feedeth sweetly on him; He is no more remembered, And iniquity is broken like 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 oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, And doeth not good to the widow.
They prey on the barren and childless, and show no kindness to the widow.
22 He taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life.
23 God giveth them security, so that they are confident; His eyes are upon their ways.
He gives them a sense of security, but His eyes are on their ways.
24 They are exalted; —in a little while they are gone! They are brought low, and die, like all others; And like the topmost ears of corn are they cut off.
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 If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?”
