Job 24
1 Why, seeing times are not hid from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.
2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and their feed.
Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
They have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
5 Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work; rising early for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get bread for their children.
6 They reap every one his grain in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
11 Who make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
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 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths.
They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.
14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
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 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.
The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not 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 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one knoweth them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
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 He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the 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.
Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat, and his sin even to hell. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
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 He wrongeth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.
23 Though it is given him to be in safety, on which he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.
God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others, and cut off as the tops of the heads of grain.
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 And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech of no worth?
And if it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
