Job 24
1 Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.
“Why aren’t times laid up by the Almighty? Why don’t those who know him see his days?
2 Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
3 They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 They have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5 Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get bread for their children.
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.
6 They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:
They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
8 Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.
9 They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
10 From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
so that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
11 They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.
They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
12 Out of the cities they have made men to groan, and the soul of the wounded hath cried out, and God doth not suffer it to pass unrevenged.
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 rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.
“These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
14 The murderer riseth at the very break of day, he killeth the needy, and the poor man: but in the night he will be as a thief.
The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ He disguises his face.
16 He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known the light.
In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They don’t know the light.
17 If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.
For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
18 He is light upon the face of the water: cursed be his portion on the earth, let him not walk by the way of the vineyards.
“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.
Drought and heat consume the snow waters, so does Sheol those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful tree.
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.
21 For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
He devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
22 He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.
Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
23 God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his ways.
God gives them security, and they rest in it. His eyes are on their ways.
24 They are lifted up for a little while and shall not stand, and shall be brought down as all things, and shall be taken away, and as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be broken.
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 it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
If it isn’t so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”
