Job 24
1 Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
“For this reason from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
2 Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
They reach the borders, They have taken a drove away violently, Indeed, they do evil.
3 The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow;
They lead away the donkey of the fatherless, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
4 They turn aside the needy out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
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;
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.
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 his provender in a field, And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing. And there is 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.
From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge—have embraced a rock.
9 Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
They take away violently The orphan from the breast, And they lay a pledge on the poor.
10 Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry—have taken away a sheaf.
11 Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
They make oil between their walls, They have trodden winepresses, and 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 because of enmity, And the soul of pierced ones cries, And God does not give praise.
13 They, have become rebels against the light, —they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
They have been those rebelling against light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abided in His 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 rises at the light, He slays the poor and needy, And in the night he 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 an adulterer Has observed the twilight, Saying, No eye beholds me. And he puts the face in secret.
16 He breaketh, in the dark, into houses, —By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the light;
He has dug in the darkness—houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known 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.
When together, morning [is] death-shade to them, When he discerns the terrors of death-shade.
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] light on the face of the waters, Their portion is vilified in the earth, He does not turn the way of vineyards.
Drought—also heat—consume snow-waters, Sheol—[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.
The womb forgets him, The worm sweetens [on] him, He is remembered no more, And wickedness is broken as a tree.
21 He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
Treating evil the barren [who] does not bear, And he does no good [to] the widow,
22 Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;
And [God] has drawn the mighty by His power, He rises, and none believes in life.
23 It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon their ways.
He gives to him confidence, and he is supported, And His eyes [are] on 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 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.
25 But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
And if not now, who proves me a liar, And makes my word of nothing?”
