Job 24
1 Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?
Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.
2 Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;
Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
3 The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow;
They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 They turn aside the needy out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.
They have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
5 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;
Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get bread for their children.
6 In the field—a man’s fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;
They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
7 Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;
They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:
8 With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.
Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
9 Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;
They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
10 Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;
From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
11 Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;
They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.
12 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.
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.
13 They, have become rebels against the light, —they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.
They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.
14 With the light, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like a thief.
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.
15 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;
The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
16 He breaketh, in the dark, into houses, —By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the light;
He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known the light.
17 For, in the case of all such, morning to them is the death-shade, For, to be recognised, is a death-shade terror.
If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.
18 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.
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.
Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat, and his sin even to hell. (Sheol h7585)
20 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.
Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful tree.
21 He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;
For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
22 Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;
He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.
23 It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon their ways.
God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his ways.
24 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.
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.
25 But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?
And if it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
