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 by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him see his days?
2 Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, 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, And 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 push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to 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;
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.
6 In the field—a man’s fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;
In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
7 Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from the cold.
8 With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.
They are drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of shelter.
9 Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
The fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
10 Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
11 Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
They make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet 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.
From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not their prayer!
13 They, have become rebels against the light, —they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its paths.
14 With the light, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like a thief.
With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; 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;
The eye of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight; He saith, “No eye will see me,” And putteth a mask upon 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 break into houses; In the daytime they shut themselves up; They are strangers to 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.
The morning is to them the very shadow of death; 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.
Light are they on the face of the waters; They have an accursed portion in the earth; They come not near the vineyards.
As drought and heat consume the snow waters, So doth the grave the wicked. (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.
His own mother forgetteth him; The worm feedeth sweetly on him; He is no more remembered, And iniquity is broken like a tree.
21 He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
He oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, 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 taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
23 It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon their ways.
God giveth them security, so that they are confident; 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; —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.
25 But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
