Job 24
1 Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
Why are not times treasured up with the Almighty? why do not they that know him see his days?
2 Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
They remove the landmarks; they violently take away the flocks and pasture them;
3 The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, 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 out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
They turn the needy out of the way: the afflicted of the land all hide themselves.
5 Lo! [as] wild asses in the wilderness, they go forth with their work, eager seekers for prey, the waste plain, yieldeth them food for their young;
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 In the field—a man’s fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;
They reap in the field the fodder thereof, and they gather the vintage of the wicked;
7 Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
They pass the night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
8 With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and for want of a shelter embrace the rock...
9 Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor:
10 Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
These go naked without clothing, and, hungry, they bear the sheaf;
11 Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
They press out oil within their walls, they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Out of the city—out of the houses, they make outcry. and, the soul of the wounded, calleth for help, and, GOD, doth not regard it as foolish.
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; and God imputeth not the impiety.
13 They, have become rebels against the light, —they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
There are those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 With the light, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like 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 the adulterer, watcheth for the evening twilight, saying, Not an eye will see me! A covering for the face, he putteth on;
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 breaketh, in the dark, into houses, —By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the light;
In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in; they know not the light:
17 For, in the case of all such, morning to them is the death-shade, For, to be recognised, is a death-shade terror.
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 Swift is he on the face of the waters, Speedily vanished their share in the land, He turneth not to the way of the 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 Maternal love shall forget him, the worm shall find him sweet, No more shall he be remembered, but perversity shall be shivered like 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 He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
He that despoileth the barren that beareth not, and doeth not good to the widow:
22 Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;
He draweth also the mighty with his power; he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.
23 It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon their ways.
[God] setteth him in safety, and he resteth thereon; but his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted a little, and are not, Yea having been laid low, like all men, are they gathered, Even as the top of an ear of corn, do they hang down.
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 But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
If it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
