Job 24
1 “Why aren’t times laid up by the Almighty? Why don’t those who know him see his days?
Why are not times treasured up with the Almighty? why do not they that know him see his days?
2 There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
They remove the landmarks; they violently take away the flocks and pasture them;
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge;
4 They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
They turn the needy out of the way: the afflicted of the land all hide themselves.
5 Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.
Lo, [as] wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking early for the prey: the wilderness [yieldeth] them food for [their] children.
6 They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
They reap in the field the fodder thereof, and they gather the vintage of the wicked;
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
They pass the night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and for want of a shelter embrace the rock...
9 There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor:
10 so that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
These go naked without clothing, and, hungry, they bear the sheaf;
11 They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
They press out oil within their walls, they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 From out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn’t regard the folly.
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; and God imputeth not the impiety.
13 “These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
There are those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like a thief.
The murderer riseth with the light, killeth the afflicted and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ He disguises his face.
And the eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me; and he putteth a covering on [his] face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They don’t know the light.
In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in; they know not the light:
17 For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
For the morning is to them all [as] the shadow of death; for they are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 “They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They don’t turn into the way of the vineyards.
He is swift on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed on the earth: he turneth not unto the way of the vineyards.
Drought and heat consume snow waters; so doth Sheol those that have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb will forget him. The worm will feed sweetly on him. He will be no more remembered. Unrighteousness will be broken as a tree.
The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him: he shall be no more remembered; and unrighteousness is broken as a tree, —
21 He devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
He that despoileth the barren that beareth not, and doeth not good to the widow:
22 Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
He draweth also the mighty with his power; he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.
23 God gives them security, and they rest in it. His eyes are on their ways.
[God] setteth him in safety, and he resteth thereon; but his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone. Yes, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.
They are exalted for a little, and are no more; they are laid low; like all [other] are they gathered, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 If it isn’t so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”
If it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
