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24 ¶ Why, seeing that times are not hidden from the Almighty, do those that know him not see his days?

Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and feed thereof.

They drive away the ass of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

They turn the needy out of the way; and all the poor of the earth hide themselves from them.

Behold, as wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work, rising early for a prey; the wilderness yields food for them and for their children.

In the field they reap their fodder, and the wicked gather the vintage that is not theirs.

They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

They are wet with the floods of the mountains and embrace the rock for want of a covering.

They pluck the fatherless from the breast and take a pledge of the poor.

10 They cause the naked to go without clothing, and they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

11 They press oil within their walls and tread their winepresses and suffer thirst.

12 Men groan from out of the city, and the souls of the dead cry out; yet God did not hinder them.

13 ¶ They are among those that rebel against the light; they have never known its ways nor abided in its paths.

14 The murderer rises with the light, kills the poor and the needy, and in the night is as a thief.

15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me; and disguises his face.

16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime; they do not know the light.

17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death; if they are known, the terrors of the shadow of death come over them.

18 ¶ They are swift upon the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; they never come by the way of the vineyards.

19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so does Sheol consume those who have sinned.

20 The Merciful One shall forget them; the worm shall feed sweetly on them; they shall never be remembered again; and iniquity shall be broken as a tree.

21 He afflicted the barren woman that did not conceive and never did good unto the widow.

22 He furthered the violent with his power; he did not lend to anyone in his life.

23 If he gave credit to some to take them over, his eyes were upon their ways.

24 They were 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 heads of grain.

25 And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar or reduce my speech to nothing?

24 “Why are (A)not times of judgment (B)kept by the Almighty,
    and why do those who know him never see his (C)days?
Some move (D)landmarks;
    they seize flocks and pasture them.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
    they (E)take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They (F)thrust the poor off the road;
    the poor of the earth (G)all hide themselves.
Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert
    the poor[a] (H)go out to their toil, (I)seeking game;
    the wasteland yields food for their children.
They gather their[b] fodder in the field,
    and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.
They (J)lie all night naked, without clothing,
    and have no covering in the cold.
They are wet with the rain of the mountains
    and (K)cling to the rock for lack of shelter.
(There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast,
    and they take a pledge against the poor.)
10 They go about naked, without clothing;
    hungry, they (L)carry the sheaves;
11 among the olive rows of the wicked[c] they make oil;
    they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst.
12 From out of the city the dying[d] groan,
    and the soul of (M)the wounded cries for help;
    yet God charges no one with (N)wrong.

13 “There are those who rebel (O)against the light,
    who are not acquainted with its ways,
    and do not stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises before it is light,
    that he (P)may kill the poor and needy,
    and in the night he is like a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer also waits for (Q)the twilight,
    saying, ‘No (R)eye will see me’;
    and he veils his face.
16 In the dark they (S)dig through houses;
    by day they shut themselves up;
    they do not know the light.
17 For (T)deep darkness is morning to all of them;
    for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.

18 “You say, (U)‘Swift are they on 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 (V)Sheol those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them;
    the worm finds them sweet;
they are (W)no longer remembered,
    so wickedness is broken like (X)a tree.’

21 “They wrong the barren, childless woman,
    and do no good to the widow.
22 Yet God[e] 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 (Y)eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted (Z)a little while, and then (AA)are gone;
    they are brought low and gathered up like all others;
    they are (AB)cut off like the heads of grain.
25 If it is (AC)not so, who will prove me a liar
    and show that there is nothing in what I say?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 24:5 Hebrew they
  2. Job 24:6 Hebrew his
  3. Job 24:11 Hebrew their olive rows
  4. Job 24:12 Or the men
  5. Job 24:22 Hebrew he