Job 24
New American Standard Bible
Job Says God Seems to Ignore Wrongs
24 “(A)Why are [a]times not stored up by the Almighty,
And why do those who know Him not see (B)His [b]days?
2 People (C)remove landmarks;
They seize and [c]devour flocks.
3 They drive away the donkeys of (D)orphans;
They seize the (E)widow’s ox as a pledge.
4 They push (F)the needy aside from the road;
The (G)poor of the land have to hide themselves together.
5 Behold, like (H)wild donkeys in the wilderness
They (I)go out scavenging for food in their activity,
As [d]bread for their children in the desert.
6 They harvest their feed in the field
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 (J)They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.
8 They are wet from the mountain rains,
And they hug the rock for lack of a shelter.
9 Others snatch an (K)orphan from the breast,
And they seize it as a pledge against the poor.
10 The poor move about naked without clothing,
And they carry sheaves, while going hungry.
11 Within the walls they produce oil;
They tread wine presses but go thirsty.
12 From the city people groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry for help;
Yet God (L)does not pay attention to the offensiveness.
13 “[e]Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor stay in its paths.
14 The murderer (M)arises at dawn;
He (N)kills the poor and the needy,
And at night he is like a thief.
15 The eye of the (O)adulterer watches for [f]twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he [g]disguises his face.
16 In the darkness they (P)dig into houses,
They (Q)shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light.
17 For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness,
For he is familiar with the (R)terrors of thick darkness.
18 “They are [h](S)insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their plot of land on the earth is (T)cursed.
They do not turn [i]toward the (U)vineyards.
19 Dryness and heat (V)snatch away the snow waters,
As [j](W)Sheol snatches those who have sinned.
20 A [k](X)mother will forget him;
The (Y)maggot feeds sweetly until he is (Z)no longer remembered.
And injustice will be broken (AA)like a tree.
21 He wrongs the [l]infertile woman,
And does no good for (AB)the widow.
22 But He drags off the mighty by (AC)His power;
He rises, but (AD)no one has assurance of life.
23 He provides them (AE)with security, and they are supported;
And His (AF)eyes are on their ways.
24 They are exalted a (AG)little while, then they are gone;
Moreover, they are (AH)brought low, and like everything they are gathered up;
Like the heads of grain they wither.
25 Now if it is not so, (AI)who can prove me a liar,
And make my speech worthless?”
Footnotes
- Job 24:1 I.e., of judgment for the wicked
- Job 24:1 I.e., of judgment for the wicked
- Job 24:2 Or pasture
- Job 24:5 Lit his bread
- Job 24:13 Lit They
- Job 24:15 Lit the twilight
- Job 24:15 Or puts a covering on his face
- Job 24:18 Or light; or swift
- Job 24:18 Lit to the path of
- Job 24:19 I.e., the netherworld
- Job 24:20 Lit womb
- Job 24:21 Lit infertile who does not bear
Job 24
Revised Standard Version
Job Complains of Violence on the Earth
24 “Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty,
and why do those who know him never see his days?
2 Men remove landmarks;
they seize flocks and pasture them.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless;
they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 They thrust the poor off the road;
the poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5 Behold, like wild asses in the desert
they go forth to their toil,
seeking prey in the wilderness
as food[a] for their children.
6 They gather their[b] fodder in the field
and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.
7 They lie all night naked, without clothing,
and have no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the rain of the mountains,
and cling to the rock for want of shelter.
9 (There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast,
and take in pledge the infant of the poor.)
10 They go about naked, without clothing;
hungry, they carry the sheaves;
11 among the olive rows of the wicked[c] they make oil;
they tread the wine presses, but suffer thirst.
12 From out of the city the dying groan,
and the soul of the wounded cries for help;
yet God pays no attention to their prayer.
13 “There are those who rebel against the light,
who are not acquainted with its ways,
and do not stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises in the dark,[d]
that he may kill the poor and needy;
and in the night he is as a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight,
saying, ‘No eye will see me’;
and he disguises his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses;
by day they shut themselves up;
they do not know the light.
17 For deep darkness is morning to all of them;
for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.
18 “You say, ‘They are swiftly carried away upon the face of the waters;
their portion is cursed in the land;
no treader turns toward their vineyards.
19 Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters;
so does Sheol those who have sinned.
20 The squares of the town[e] forget them;
their name[f] is no longer remembered;
so wickedness is broken like a tree.’
21 “They feed on the barren childless woman,
and do no good to the widow.
22 Yet God[g] prolongs the life of the mighty by his power;
they rise up when they despair of life.
23 He gives them security, and they are supported;
and his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted a little while, and then are gone;
they wither and fade like the mallow;[h]
they are cut off like the heads of grain.
25 If it is not so, who will prove me a liar,
and show that there is nothing in what I say?”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.