Job 24
1 “(Why does Almighty [God] not set a time when he will judge [evil people]?/I do not understand why Almighty [God does] not set a time when he will judge [evil people].) [RHQ] Those who know him never [RHQ] see him do that!
Why are times not stored up by the Ruler of all, and why do those who have knowledge of him not see his days?
2 [Some evil people] remove the markers of boundaries of [other people’s] land, [in order to steal their land]; they seize/steal [other people’s] sheep and put them in their own pastures.
The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers.
3 [Some] (take away/steal) the donkeys that belong to orphans, and they take widow’s oxen to guarantee that the widows will pay back the money that they loaned to those widows.
They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt.
4 [Some] shove poor people off the road (OR, prevent poor people from (obtaining their rights/being treated justly)), and they force poor people to find places to hide from them.
The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.
5 The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care; from the waste land they get bread for their children.
6 The poor people harvest left-over grain in other people’s fields, and gather grapes from vineyards that belong to wicked men.
They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.
7 During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold.
8 When it rains on the mountains, the poor people become very wet, so they huddle under the rock ledges to be protected [from the rain].
They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.
9 [Some evil men] snatch infants away from their widowed mothers [SYN], and they say ‘I will return your babies to you when you repay the money that I lent to you.’
The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt.
10 But the poor people walk around with no clothes on; they are hungry while they are working to carry [other people’s] bundles of grain [to the places where their grain will be threshed].
Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.
11 Poor people press olives to make [olive] oil; they tread on grapes [to make juice for wine], but [they are not allowed to drink any of it when] they become thirsty.
Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes.
12 In the cities, people who are wounded and dying cry out [to God for help], but God does not heed their prayers.
From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.
13 Some wicked people avoid the light [because they do evil things in the dark]; they do not walk on roads that are lighted.
Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.
14 Murderers steal things during the night, and then they arise before dawn in order that they may [go out again and] kill needy [DOU] people.
He who is purposing death gets up before day, so that he may put to death the poor and those in need.
15 Those who want to commit adultery wait for twilight/evening; they say ‘I do not want anyone to see me,’ so they keep their faces covered.
And the man whose desire is for the wife of another is waiting for the evening, saying, No eye will see me; and he puts a cover on his face. And in the night the thief goes about;
16 It is during the night that robbers break into houses [to steal things], but during the day they hide because they want to avoid [being seen in] the light.
In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses: in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light.
17 All of those [people] want to do their evil things at night, not in the morning [when it is light], because they are not afraid of [the things that happen during the] night that terrify others.”
For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark.
18 “[But it is wicked people] who are swept/carried away by floods, and God curses the land that they own, and no one goes to work in their vineyards.
They go quickly on the face of the waters; their heritage is cursed in the earth; the steps of the crusher of grapes are not turned to their vine-garden.
19 Just like the snow melts away when it is hot and there is no rain, those who have sinned disappear into the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
Snow waters become dry with the heat: so do sinners go down into the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
20 Not even their mothers remember them now; wicked people are destroyed like trees that are cut down, and maggots eat their corpses.
The public place of his town has no more knowledge of him, and his name has gone from the memory of men: he is rooted up like a dead tree.
21 They mistreat women who have been unable to give birth to children and women who no longer have children [to take care of them], and they never do good things for widows.
He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child.
22 But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.
23 God allows them to think that they are secure and safe, but he is watching [MTY] them all the time.
He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways.
24 They prosper for a little while, and then [suddenly] they are gone; they disappear like weeds wither and die; they are like [SIM] stalks of grain that have been cut off.
For a short time they are lifted up; then they are gone; they are made low, they are pulled off like fruit, and like the heads of grain they are cut off.
25 If this is not true, is there [RHQ] anyone who will show that I am a liar and prove that what I have said is not true?”
And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?
