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 not times treasured up by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him 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.
They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, and pasture 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 drive away the ass of the fatherless, And take 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 push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
5 The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
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 The poor people harvest left-over grain in other people’s fields, and gather grapes from vineyards that belong to wicked men.
In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
7 During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from 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 drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of shelter.
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 fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
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].
They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
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 make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet 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.
From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not 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.
Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its 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.
With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; In the night he is 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 watcheth for the twilight; He saith, “No eye will see me,” And putteth a mask upon 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.
In the dark they break into houses; In the daytime they shut themselves up; They are strangers to 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.”
The morning is to them the very shadow of death; They are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
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.
Light are they on the face of the waters; They have an accursed portion in the earth; They come not near 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)
As drought and heat consume the snow waters, So doth the grave the wicked. (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.
His own mother forgetteth him; The worm feedeth sweetly on him; He is no more remembered, And iniquity is broken like a 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 oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, And doeth not good to the widow.
22 But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
He taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
23 God allows them to think that they are secure and safe, but he is watching [MTY] them all the time.
God giveth them security, so that they are confident; His eyes are upon their 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 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 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?”
If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
