Job 24
1 The times are not hidden from the Almighty; even those who know him, do not know his days.
Why are times for judging wicked people not set by the Almighty? Why do not those who are faithful to God see his days of judgment come?
2 Some have crossed the boundaries, plundered the flocks, and given them pasture.
There are wicked people who remove boundary markers; there are wicked people who take away flocks by force and put them in their own pastures.
3 They have driven away the donkey of orphans, and have taken the cow from the widow as collateral.
They drive away the donkey of those without fathers; they take the widow's ox as security.
4 They have undermined the way of the poor, and have pressed together the meek of the earth.
They force needy people out of their path; poor people of the earth all hide themselves from them.
5 Others, like wild asses in the desert, go forth to their work; by watching for prey, they obtain bread for their children.
See, these poor people go out to their work like wild donkeys in the wilderness, looking carefully for food; perhaps the Arabah will provide them food for their children.
6 They reap a field that is not their own, and they harvest a vineyard that they have taken by force.
Poor people reap in the night in other people's fields; they glean grapes from the harvest of those wicked people.
7 They send men away naked, having taken the clothing of those who have no covering in the cold;
They lie naked all night without clothing; they have no covering in the cold.
8 these are wet with the mountain rain, and, having no covering, they embrace the rocks.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains; they lie next to large rocks because they have no shelter.
9 They have used violence to deprive orphans, and they have robbed the poor common people.
There are wicked people who pluck orphans from their mothers' breast, and wicked people who take children as security from poor people.
10 From the naked and those who do not have enough clothing, and from the hungry, they have taken away sheaves of grain.
But the poor people go about naked without clothing; although they go hungry, they carry bundles of grain belonging to other people.
11 They take their midday rest among the stockpiles of those who, though they have trodden the winepresses, suffer thirst.
The poor people make oil within the walls of those wicked men; they tread the wicked men's winepresses, but they themselves suffer thirst.
12 In the cities, they caused the men to groan and the spirit of the wounded to cry out, and so God does not allow this to go unpunished.
From out of the city the dying groan, and the throat of the wounded cries out for help. But God does not ascribe blame
13 They have been rebellious against the light; they have not known his ways, nor have they returned by his paths.
Some of these wicked people rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor do they stay in its paths.
14 The killer of men rises at first light; he executes the destitute and the poor, but, in truth, he is like a thief in the night.
Before daylight the murderer rises and he kills poor and needy people; in the night he is like a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer waits for darkness, saying, “No eye will see me,” and he covers his face.
Also, the eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight; he says, 'No eye will see me.' He disguises his face.
16 He passes through houses in the nighttime, just as they had agreed among themselves in the daytime; and they are ignorant of the light.
In the darkness wicked people dig into houses; but they shut themselves up in the daytime; they do not care for the light.
17 If sunrise should suddenly appear, it is treated by them like the shadow of death; and they walk in darkness, as if in light.
For all of them, thick darkness is like the morning; for they are friends with the terrors of thick darkness.
18 He is nimble on the surface of water. His place on land is to be accursed. May he not walk by way of the vineyards.
Swiftly they pass away, however, like foam on the surface of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed; no one goes to work in their vineyards.
19 May he cross from the snowy waters to excessive heat, and his sin, all the way to hell. (Sheol h7585)
As drought and heat melt away the snow into waters, so Sheol takes away those who have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
20 Let mercy forget him. His charm is worms. Let him not be remembered, but instead be broken like an unfruitful tree.
The womb that bore him will forget him; the worm will feed sweetly on him; he will be remembered no more; in this way, wickedness will be broken like a tree.
21 For he has fed on the barren, who does not bear fruit, and he has not done good to the widow.
The wicked one devours the barren women who have not borne children; he does no good to the widow.
22 He has pulled down the strong by his strength, and, when he stands up, he will not have trust in his life.
Yet God drags away the mighty people by his power; he rises up and does not strengthen them in life.
23 God has given him a place for repentance, and he abuses it with arrogance, but his eyes are upon his ways.
God allows them to think they are secure, and they are happy about that, but his eyes are on their ways.
24 They are lifted up for a little while, but they will not continue, and they will be brought low, just like all things, and they will be taken away, and, like the tops of the ears of grain, they will be crushed.
These people are exalted; still, in only a little while, they will be gone; indeed, they will be brought low; they will be gathered up like all the others; they will be cut off like the tops of ears of grain.
25 But, if this is not so, who is able to prove to me that I have lied and to place my words before God?
If it is not so, who can prove me to be a liar; who can make my speech worth nothing?”
