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!
Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of 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.
Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
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.
The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow;
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 turn aside the needy out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
5 The result is that poor people have to search for food in the desert like wild donkeys do.
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;
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 field—a man’s fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;
7 During the night they have nothing to cover their bodies, nothing to keep them warm.
Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and 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].
With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.
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.’
Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take 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].
Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
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 their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
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 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.
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 become rebels against the light, —they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
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, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like 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.
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;
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 breaketh, in the dark, into houses, —By day, they lock themselves in, They know not 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, in the case of all such, morning to them is the death-shade, For, to be recognised, is a death-shade terror.
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.
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.
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)
Drought and heat, steal away snow water, Hades, them who have sinned. (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.
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.
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 who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
22 But God, by his power, gets rid of mighty/influential people. God acts and causes the wicked people to die.
Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;
23 God allows them to think that they are secure and safe, but he is watching [MTY] them all the time.
It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, 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 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.
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?”
But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
