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!
Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not 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.
Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
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 have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away the widow’s ox for a pledge.
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.
They have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
5 The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey 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 reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
7 During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering 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].
Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
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.’
They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
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].
From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
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.
They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.
12 In the cities, people who are wounded and dying cry out [to God for help], but God does not heed their prayers.
Out of the cities they have made men to groan, and the soul of the wounded hath cried out, and God doth not suffer it to pass unrevenged.
13 Some wicked people avoid the light [because they do evil things in the dark]; they do not walk on roads that are lighted.
They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.
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.
The murderer riseth at the very break of day, he killeth the needy, and the poor man: but in the night he will be as a thief.
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.
The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
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.
He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known 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.”
If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.
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.
He is light upon the face of the water: cursed be his portion on the earth, let him not walk by the way of the vineyards.
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)
Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat, and his sin even to hell. (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.
Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful 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.
For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
22 But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.
23 God allows them to think that they are secure and safe, but he is watching [MTY] them all the time.
God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon 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.
They are lifted up for a little while and shall not stand, and shall be brought down as all things, and shall be taken away, and as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be broken.
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 be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
