Job 24
1 Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?
2 The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil.
There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them.
3 The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
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.
Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; the desert yieldeth them bread for their children.
6 In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.
They cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.
7 The naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
8 From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge — have embraced a rock.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.
There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;
10 Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry — have taken away a sheaf.
So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves;
11 Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst.
They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Because of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise.
From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; yet God imputeth it not for unseemliness.
13 They have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths.
These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
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 riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as 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 eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying: 'No eye shall see me'; and he putteth a covering on his face.
16 He hath dug in the darkness — houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light.
17 When together, morning [is] to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.
For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; for they know the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 Light he [is] on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards.
He is swift upon the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; he turneth not by the way of the vineyards.
Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that 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.
The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and unrighteousness is broken as a tree.
21 Treating evil the barren [who] beareth not, And [to] the widow he doth no good,
He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.
22 And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.
He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.
23 He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes [are] on their ways.
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways.
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.
They are exalted for a little while, and they are gone; yea, they are brought low, they are gathered in as all others, and wither as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?
And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
