Job 24
1 Why, seeing times [are] not hid from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
“For this reason from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
2 [Some] remove the landmarks: they violently take away flocks, and [their] feed.
They reach the borders, They have taken a drove away violently, Indeed, they do evil.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They lead away the donkey of the fatherless, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
5 Behold, [as] wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness [yieldeth] food for them [and] for [their] children.
Behold, wild donkeys in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself—food for young ones.
6 They reap [every one] his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
They reap his provender in a field, And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that [they have] no covering in the cold.
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge—have embraced a rock.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
They take away violently The orphan from the breast, And they lay a pledge on the poor.
10 They cause [him] to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf [from] the hungry;
Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry—have taken away a sheaf.
11 [Who] make oil within their walls, [and] tread [their] wine-presses, and suffer thirst.
They make oil between their walls, They have trodden winepresses, and thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly [to them].
Men groan because of enmity, And the soul of pierced ones cries, And God does not give praise.
13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths.
They have been those rebelling against light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abided in His paths.
14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
The murderer rises at the light, He slays the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth [his] face.
And the eye of an adulterer Has observed the twilight, Saying, No eye beholds me. And he puts the face in secret.
16 In the dark they dig through houses, [which] they had marked for themselves in the day-time: they know not the light.
He has dug in the darkness—houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
17 For the morning [is] to them even as the shades of death: if [one] knoweth [them], [they are in] the terrors of the shades of death.
When together, morning [is] death-shade to them, When he discerns the terrors of death-shade.
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 on the face of the waters, Their portion is vilified in the earth, He does not turn the way of vineyards.
19 Drouth and heat consume the snow-waters: [so doth] the grave [those who] have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Drought—also heat—consume snow-waters, Sheol—[those who] have sinned. (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.
The womb forgets him, The worm sweetens [on] him, He is remembered no more, And wickedness is broken as a tree.
21 He oppresseth the barren [that] beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
Treating evil the barren [who] does not bear, And he does no good [to] the widow,
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.
And [God] has drawn the mighty by His power, He rises, and none believes in life.
23 [Though] it is given him [to be] in safety, on which he resteth; yet his eyes [are] upon their ways.
He gives to him confidence, and he is supported, And His eyes [are] on their 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 ears of corn.
They were high [for] a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. They are shut up as all [others], And cut off as the head of an ear of grain.
25 And if [it is] not [so] now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech of no worth?
And if not now, who proves me a liar, And makes my word of nothing?”
