Add parallel Print Page Options

Futility of Injustice

24 “Why are times not stored up by Shaddai?
And why do those who know Him not see His days?
Some remove the boundary-stones;
    they steal flocks and pasture them.
They drive away the orphan’s donkey
    and take the widow’s ox as a pledge.
They turn the needy off the path;
    they force the poor of the land into hiding.
Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert, they go about their work,
foraging prey in the desert as food for their children.
They reap their fodder in the field
    and glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
Without clothing they spend the night naked,
    without covering against the cold.
They are drenched by mountain rains,
    and hug the rock for lack of shelter.
The orphan is snatched from the breast;
    the infant of the poor is taken as a pledge.
10 They wander about naked, without clothing
    and go hungry while they carry sheaves.
11 They press oil between the terraces;
    they tread winepresses, but are thirsty.
12 From the city men groan,
    and the souls of the wounded cry out;
    yet God charges no one with folly.
13 These are those who rebel against the light,
    who do not recognize its ways or stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises with the light, kills the poor and needy,
    and in the night becomes a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer waits for twilight,
thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ and he disguises his face.
16 When it is dark, they break into houses,
    but by day, they shut themselves in;
    they do not know the light.
17 For to all of them, morning is as thick darkness;
they are familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.
18 “He is foam on the surface of water;
    their portion of the land is cursed;
    no one turns toward their vineyards.
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,
    so Sheol, takes away those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets him,
    the worm feasts on him,
no longer will he be remembered.
    But like a tree, wickedness is broken.
21 He feeds on the barren and childless woman,
    and shows no kindness to the widow.
22 But He drags off the mighty by His power;
He raises up, yet no one has assurance of life.
23 He allows him to rest in a sense of security,
    but His eyes are on their ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while
    and then they are gone;
they are brought low
    and gathered up like all others,
they are like heads of grain they wither.
25 Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar,
    and reduce my speech to nothing?”

Who Can Prove Me a Liar?

24 (A)Why are [a]times not stored up by the Almighty,
And why do those who know Him not behold (B)His days?
[b]Some (C)move the boundaries;
They seize and [c]devour flocks.
They drive away the donkeys of the (D)orphans;
They take the (E)widow’s ox for a pledge.
They push (F)the needy aside from the road;
The (G)afflicted of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.
Behold, as (H)wild donkeys in the wilderness
They (I)go forth seeking food earnestly in their work,
The desert becomes [d]for him a place of bread for his young ones.
They harvest their fodder in the field
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
(J)They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.
They are wet with the mountain rains
And hug the rock for want of a shelter.
[e]Others snatch the (K)orphan from the breast,
And against the afflicted they take a pledge.
10 Those poor ones walk about naked without clothing,
And hungry ones carry the sheaves.
11 Within the walls they produce oil;
They tread wine presses but thirst.
12 From the city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God (L)does not pay attention to such offense.

13 [f]Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to recognize its ways
Nor abide in its paths.
14 The murderer (M)arises at dawn;
He (N)kills the afflicted and the needy,
And at night he is as a thief.
15 The eye of the (O)adulterer keeps watch for the twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he [g]keeps his face hidden.
16 In the dark 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 the shadow of death,
For he recognizes the (R)terrors of the shadow of death.

18 [h]They are [i](S)insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their portion is (T)cursed on the earth.
They do not turn [j]toward the (U)vineyards.
19 Drought and heat (V)seize the snow waters,
So does (W)Sheol those who have sinned.
20 A [k](X)mother will forget him;
The (Y)worm feasts sweetly till he is (Z)no longer remembered.
And unrighteousness will be broken (AA)like a tree.
21 He feeds on the barren woman who does not give birth
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 believes in his 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 gathered up;
Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.
25 Now if it is not so, (AI)who can prove me a liar,
And make my speech worthless?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 24:1 Times of judgment
  2. Job 24:2 Lit They
  3. Job 24:2 Or pasture
  4. Job 24:5 Lit his bread
  5. Job 24:9 Lit They
  6. Job 24:13 Lit They
  7. Job 24:15 Lit sets
  8. Job 24:18 Implied, they (Job’s friends) say; Job 24:18-21
  9. Job 24:18 Or light, swift
  10. Job 24:18 Lit to the path of
  11. Job 24:20 Lit womb

24 “Why does the Almighty not set times(A) for judgment?(B)
    Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?(C)
There are those who move boundary stones;(D)
    they pasture flocks they have stolen.(E)
They drive away the orphan’s donkey
    and take the widow’s ox in pledge.(F)
They thrust the needy(G) from the path
    and force all the poor(H) of the land into hiding.(I)
Like wild donkeys(J) in the desert,
    the poor go about their labor(K) of foraging food;
    the wasteland(L) provides food for their children.
They gather fodder(M) in the fields
    and glean in the vineyards(N) of the wicked.(O)
Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked;
    they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.(P)
They are drenched(Q) by mountain rains
    and hug(R) the rocks for lack of shelter.(S)
The fatherless(T) child is snatched(U) from the breast;
    the infant of the poor is seized(V) for a debt.(W)
10 Lacking clothes, they go about naked;(X)
    they carry the sheaves,(Y) but still go hungry.
11 They crush olives among the terraces[a];
    they tread the winepresses,(Z) yet suffer thirst.(AA)
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city,
    and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.(AB)
    But God charges no one with wrongdoing.(AC)

13 “There are those who rebel against the light,(AD)
    who do not know its ways
    or stay in its paths.(AE)
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up,
    kills(AF) the poor and needy,(AG)
    and in the night steals forth like a thief.(AH)
15 The eye of the adulterer(AI) watches for dusk;(AJ)
    he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’(AK)
    and he keeps his face concealed.
16 In the dark, thieves break into houses,(AL)
    but by day they shut themselves in;
    they want nothing to do with the light.(AM)
17 For all of them, midnight is their morning;
    they make friends with the terrors(AN) of darkness.(AO)

18 “Yet they are foam(AP) on the surface of the water;(AQ)
    their portion of the land is cursed,(AR)
    so that no one goes to the vineyards.(AS)
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,(AT)
    so the grave(AU) snatches away those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them,
    the worm(AV) feasts on them;(AW)
the wicked are no longer remembered(AX)
    but are broken like a tree.(AY)
21 They prey on the barren and childless woman,
    and to the widow they show no kindness.(AZ)
22 But God drags away the mighty by his power;(BA)
    though they become established,(BB) they have no assurance of life.(BC)
23 He may let them rest in a feeling of security,(BD)
    but his eyes(BE) are on their ways.(BF)
24 For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;(BG)
    they are brought low and gathered up like all others;(BH)
    they are cut off like heads of grain.(BI)

25 “If this is not so, who can prove me false
    and reduce my words to nothing?”(BJ)

Footnotes

  1. Job 24:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.