Job 24
1 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?
Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
2 The wicked move boundary stones; they seize other people's flocks and move them to their own pastures.
Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
3 They steal the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as security for a debt.
The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow;
4 They push the poor out of their way; the destitute are forced to hide from them.
They turn aside the needy out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
5 Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor have to scavenge for their food, looking for anything to feed their children in the wasteland.
Lo! [as] wild asses in the wilderness, they go forth with their work, eager seekers for prey, the waste plain, yieldeth them food for their young;
6 They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
In the field—a man’s fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;
7 They spend the night naked because they have no clothes; they have nothing to cover themselves against the cold.
Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
8 They are soaked by the cold mountain storms, and huddle beside the rocks for shelter.
With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.
9 Fatherless children are snatched from their mother's breasts, taking the babies of the poor as security for a debt.
Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
10 Because they have no clothes to wear they have to go naked, harvesting sheaves of grain while they themselves are hungry.
Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
11 In the olive groves they work to produce oil, but do not taste it; they tread the winepress, but are thirsty.
Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
12 In the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry for help, but God ignores their prayers.
Out of the city—out of the houses, they make outcry. and, the soul of the wounded, calleth for help, and, GOD, doth not regard it as foolish.
13 These are people who rebel against the light. They do not want to know its ways, or to stay on its paths.
They, have become rebels against the light, —they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
14 The murderer gets up at dawn to kill the poor and needy, and when night falls he becomes a thief.
With the light, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like a thief.
15 The adulterer waits for dusk, saying to himself, ‘No one will see me now,’ and he covers his face.
And, the eye of the adulterer, watcheth for the evening twilight, saying, Not an eye will see me! A covering for the face, he putteth on;
16 Thieves break into houses during the night and they sleep during the day. They don't even know what the light is like!
He breaketh, in the dark, into houses, —By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the light;
17 Total darkness is like light to them, for they are familiar with the night.
For, in the case of all such, morning to them is the death-shade, For, to be recognised, is a death-shade terror.
18 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.
Swift is he on the face of the waters, Speedily vanished their share in the land, He turneth not to the way of the vineyards.
19 Just as heat and drought dry up snowmelt, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Drought and heat, steal away snow water, Hades, them who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 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.
Maternal love shall forget him, the worm shall find him sweet, No more shall he be remembered, but perversity shall be shivered like a tree.
21 They mistreat childless women and are mean to widows.
He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
22 God prolongs the life of the wicked by his power; but when they arise, they have no assurance of life.
Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;
23 He supports them and gives them security, but he is always watching what they're doing.
It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon their ways.
24 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.
They are exalted a little, and are not, Yea having been laid low, like all men, are they gathered, Even as the top of an ear of corn, do they hang down.
25 If this isn't so, who can prove I'm a liar and there's nothing to what I say?”
But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
