Job 24
1 Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? and why do not they which know him see his days?
2 Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed 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 poor of the earth hide themselves together.
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, as wild asses in the desert they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for meat; 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 cut their provender in the field; and they glean the vintage of the wicked.
7 Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
They lie all 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 embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
There are that 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;
[So that] they go about naked without clothing, and being an-hungred they carry the sheaves;
11 Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
They make oil within the walls of these men; 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.
From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God imputeth it not for folly.
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 of them 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, he killeth 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;
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and he disguiseth 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: they shut themselves up in the daytime; 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 all of them as the shadow of death; for they know 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 upon the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he turneth not by the way of the vineyards.
Drought and heat consume the snow waters: [so doth] Sheol [those which] 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 shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered: and unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.
21 He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
He devoureth 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 away the mighty also by 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] giveth them to be in security, and they rest thereon; and 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; yet a little while, and they are gone; yea, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all other, 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?
And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
