Job 24
1 Why are not times treasured up by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him see his days?
Why are times for judging wicked people not set by the Almighty? Why do not those who are faithful to God see his days of judgment come?
2 They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, and pasture them.
There are wicked people who remove boundary markers; there are wicked people who take away flocks by force and put them in their own pastures.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, And take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They drive away the donkey of those without fathers; they take the widow's ox as security.
4 They push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
They force needy people out of their path; poor people of the earth all hide themselves from them.
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.
See, these poor people go out to their work like wild donkeys in the wilderness, looking carefully for food; perhaps the Arabah will provide them food for their children.
6 In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
Poor people reap in the night in other people's fields; they glean grapes from the harvest of those wicked people.
7 They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from the cold.
They lie naked all night without clothing; they have no covering in the cold.
8 They are drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of shelter.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains; they lie next to large rocks because they have no shelter.
9 The fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
There are wicked people who pluck orphans from their mothers' breast, and wicked people who take children as security from poor people.
10 They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
But the poor people go about naked without clothing; although they go hungry, they carry bundles of grain belonging to other people.
11 They make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet suffer thirst.
The poor people make oil within the walls of those wicked men; they tread the wicked men's winepresses, but they themselves suffer thirst.
12 From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not their prayer!
From out of the city the dying groan, and the throat of the wounded cries out for help. But God does not ascribe blame
13 Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its paths.
Some of these wicked people rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor do they stay in its paths.
14 With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; In the night he is as a thief.
Before daylight the murderer rises and he kills poor and needy people; 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.
Also, the eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight; he says, 'No eye will see me.' He disguises 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 darkness wicked people dig into houses; but they shut themselves up in the daytime; they do not care for 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 all of them, thick darkness is like the morning; for they are friends with the terrors of thick 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.
Swiftly they pass away, however, like foam on the surface of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed; no one goes to work in their vineyards.
As drought and heat melt away the snow into waters, so Sheol takes away 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 that bore him will forget him; the worm will feed sweetly on him; he will be remembered no more; in this way, wickedness will be broken like a tree.
21 He oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, And doeth not good to the widow.
The wicked one devours the barren women who have not borne children; he does no good to the widow.
22 He taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
Yet God drags away the mighty people by his power; he rises up and does not strengthen them in life.
23 God giveth them security, so that they are confident; His eyes are upon their ways.
God allows them to think they are secure, and they are happy about that, 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.
These people are exalted; still, in only a little while, they will be gone; indeed, they will be brought low; they will be gathered up like all the others; they will be cut off like the tops of ears of grain.
25 If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
If it is not so, who can prove me to be a liar; who can make my speech worth nothing?”
