Job 24
1 Why, seeing times [are] not hid from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
2 [Some] remove the landmarks: they violently take away flocks, and [their] feed.
The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
5 Behold, [as] wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness [yieldeth] food for them [and] for [their] children.
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.
6 They reap [every one] his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that [they have] no covering in the cold.
The naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge — have embraced a rock.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.
10 They cause [him] to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf [from] the hungry;
Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry — have taken away a sheaf.
11 [Who] make oil within their walls, [and] tread [their] wine-presses, and suffer thirst.
Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly [to them].
Because of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise.
13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths.
They have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths.
14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
At the light doth the murderer rise, He doth slay the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth [his] face.
And the eye of an adulterer Hath observed the twilight, Saying, 'No eye doth behold me.' And he putteth the face in secret.
16 In the dark they dig through houses, [which] they had marked for themselves in the day-time: they know not the light.
He hath dug in the darkness — houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
17 For the morning [is] to them even as the shades of death: if [one] knoweth [them], [they are in] the terrors of the shades of death.
When together, morning [is] to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.
18 He [is] swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
Light he [is] on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards.
19 Drouth and heat consume the snow-waters: [so doth] the grave [those who] have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Drought — also heat — consume snow-waters, Sheol [those who] have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
Forget him doth the womb, Sweeten [on] him doth the worm, No more is he remembered, And broken as a tree is wickedness.
21 He oppresseth the barren [that] beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
Treating evil the barren [who] beareth not, And [to] the widow he doth no good,
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no [man] is sure of life.
And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.
23 [Though] it is given him [to be] in safety, on which he resteth; yet his eyes [are] upon their ways.
He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes [are] on their ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all [others], and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
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.
25 And if [it is] not [so] now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech of no worth?
And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?
