Job 24
1 Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
"Why aren't times made known by Shaddai? Why do not those who know him see his days?
2 The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil.
There are people who 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 donkey of the fatherless, and 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 all hide themselves.
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.
Look, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.
6 In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.
They cut their provender in the field. They glean 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 lack of a shelter.
9 They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.
There are those who 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 around naked without clothing. 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 walls of these men. They tread wine presses, 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. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn't regard the folly.
13 They have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths.
"These are of those who rebel against the light. They do not know its ways, nor abide in 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 rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like 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 waits for the twilight, saying, 'No eye shall see me.' He disguises 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 daytime. They do not know the light.
17 When together, morning [is] to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.
For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
18 Light he [is] on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards.
"They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They do not turn into the way of the vineyards.
Drought and heat consume the snow waters, so does Sheol 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.
The womb shall forget him. The worm shall feed sweetly on him. He shall be no more remembered. Unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.
21 Treating evil the barren [who] beareth not, And [to] the widow he doth no good,
He devours the barren who do not bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
22 And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.
Yet he preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
23 He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes [are] on their ways.
He gives them security, and they rest in it. His eyes are on 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; 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.
25 And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?
If it isn't so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?"
