Job 24
1 Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
Why doesn't the Almighty set a definite time to punish the wicked? Why don't those who follow him never see him act in judgment?
2 The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil.
The wicked move boundary stones; they seize other people's flocks and move them to their own pastures.
3 The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
They steal the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as security for a debt.
4 They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
They push the poor out of their way; the destitute are forced to hide from them.
5 Lo, wild asses in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself — food for young ones.
Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor have to scavenge for their food, looking for anything to feed their children in the wasteland.
6 In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.
They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
7 The naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
They spend the night naked because they have no clothes; they have nothing to cover themselves against the cold.
8 From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge — have embraced a rock.
They are soaked by the cold mountain storms, and huddle beside the rocks for shelter.
9 They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.
Fatherless children are snatched from their mother's breasts, taking the babies of the poor as security for a debt.
10 Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry — have taken away a sheaf.
Because they have no clothes to wear they have to go naked, harvesting sheaves of grain while they themselves are hungry.
11 Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst.
In the olive groves they work to produce oil, but do not taste it; they tread the winepress, but are thirsty.
12 Because of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise.
In the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry for help, but God ignores their prayers.
13 They have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths.
These are people who rebel against the light. They do not want to know its ways, or to stay on its paths.
14 At the light doth the murderer rise, He doth slay the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief.
The murderer gets up at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and when night falls he becomes a thief.
15 And the eye of an adulterer Hath observed the twilight, Saying, 'No eye doth behold me.' And he putteth the face in secret.
The adulterer waits for dusk, saying to himself, ‘No one will see me now,’ and he covers his face.
16 He hath dug in the darkness — houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
Thieves break into houses during the night and they sleep during the day. They don't even know what the light is like!
17 When together, morning [is] to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.
Total darkness is like light to them, for they are familiar with the night.
18 Light he [is] on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards.
Like bubbles on the surface of a river they are quickly carried away. The land they own is cursed by God. They don't enter their own vineyards.
Just as heat and drought dry up snowmelt, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 Forget him doth the womb, Sweeten [on] him doth the worm, No more is he remembered, And broken as a tree is wickedness.
Even their mothers forget them, maggots feast on them, they are no longer remembered, and their wickedness becomes like a tree that is broken into pieces.
21 Treating evil the barren [who] beareth not, And [to] the widow he doth no good,
They mistreat childless women and are mean to widows.
22 And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.
God prolongs the life of the wicked by his power; but when they arise, they have no assurance of life.
23 He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes [are] on their ways.
He supports them and gives them security, but he is always watching what they're doing.
24 High they were [for] a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. As all [others] they are shut up, And as the head of an ear of corn cut off.
Though they may be illustrious for a while, soon they are gone. They are brought down like all others, cut off like the heads of grain.
25 And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?
If this isn't so, who can prove I'm a liar and there's nothing to what I say?”
