Job 24
1 Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
Why doesn't the Almighty set a definite time to punish the wicked? Why don't those who follow him never see him act in judgment?
2 Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
The wicked move boundary stones; they seize other people's flocks and move them to their own pastures.
3 The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow;
They steal the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as security for a debt.
4 They turn aside the needy out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
They push the poor out of their way; the destitute are forced to hide from them.
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;
Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor have to scavenge for their food, looking for anything to feed their children in the wasteland.
6 In the field—a man’s fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;
They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
7 Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
They spend the night naked because they have no clothes; they have nothing to cover themselves against the cold.
8 With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.
They are soaked by the cold mountain storms, and huddle beside the rocks for shelter.
9 Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
Fatherless children are snatched from their mother's breasts, taking the babies of the poor as security for a debt.
10 Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
Because they have no clothes to wear they have to go naked, harvesting sheaves of grain while they themselves are hungry.
11 Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
In the olive groves they work to produce oil, but do not taste it; they tread the winepress, but are thirsty.
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.
In the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry for help, but God ignores their prayers.
13 They, have become rebels against the light, —they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
These are people who rebel against the light. They do not want to know its ways, or to stay on its paths.
14 With the light, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like a thief.
The murderer gets up at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and when night falls he becomes 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;
The adulterer waits for dusk, saying to himself, ‘No one will see me now,’ and he covers his face.
16 He breaketh, in the dark, into houses, —By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the light;
Thieves break into houses during the night and they sleep during the day. They don't even know what the light is like!
17 For, in the case of all such, morning to them is the death-shade, For, to be recognised, is a death-shade terror.
Total darkness is like light to them, for they are familiar with the night.
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.
Like bubbles on the surface of a river they are quickly carried away. The land they own is cursed by God. They don't enter their own vineyards.
Just as heat and drought dry up snowmelt, so Sheol takes away those who 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.
Even their mothers forget them, maggots feast on them, they are no longer remembered, and their wickedness becomes like a tree that is broken into pieces.
21 He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
They mistreat childless women and are mean to widows.
22 Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;
God prolongs the life of the wicked by his power; but when they arise, they have no assurance of life.
23 It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon their ways.
He supports them and gives them security, but he is always watching what they're doing.
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.
Though they may be illustrious for a while, soon they are gone. They are brought down like all others, cut off like the heads of grain.
25 But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
If this isn't so, who can prove I'm a liar and there's nothing to what I say?”
