Fortsättning av Jobs svar

24 Varför har den Allsmäktige inga domstider i förvar?
    Varför får hans vänner inte se hans dagar?
De flyttar undan gränsstenar,
    de rövar bort hjordar och för dem i bet.
De för bort de faderlösas åsna,
    och tar änkans ko i pant.
De tränger bort de fattiga från vägen,
de nödställda i landet måste alla gömma sig.
Se, som vildåsnor i öknen
    går de ut till sin gärning.
De söker efter mat,
    och hedmarken ger dem bröd åt barnen.
De skördar foder på fältet,
    de plockar det som finns kvar i den ogudaktiges vingård.
Nakna ligger de om natten, utan kläder,
de har inget att skyla sig med i kölden.
De dränks av skurar från bergen,
    i brist på skydd håller de sig tätt intill klippan.

Faderlösa slits från sin moders bröst
och pant tas från den fattige.
10 De måste gå omkring nakna, utan kläder,
    hungrande bär de på kärvar.
11 Mellan deras murar pressar de ut olja,
törstande trampar de vinpressen.
12 Från staden hörs de döendes jämmer,
svårt sårade ropar på hjälp.
    Men Gud aktar ej på sådan ondska.

13 Andra har blivit fiender till ljuset,
    de känner inte dess vägar,
de vistas inte på dess stigar.
14 Så snart det dagas stiger mördaren upp,
han dödar den nödställde och fattige,
och om natten blir han tjuvars like.
15 Äktenskapsbrytarens öga spanar efter skymningen,
han tänker: "Inget öga får se mig",
    och täcker sitt ansikte med en slöja.
16 Vid mörkrets inbrott bryter de sig in i husen,
om dagen låser de sig inne.
    De vill inte veta av ljuset.
17 Ty svartaste mörker är morgon för dem alla,
ja, de är väl förtrogna med mörkrets fasor.

18 De är som något lätt på vattenytan.
Deras jordstycke är förbannat i landet,
ingen styr sin färd till vingårdarna.
19 Som torka och hetta förtär snövattnet,
så förtär dödsriket den som har syndat.
20 Modersskötet glömmer honom,
    maskar frossar på honom,
ingen bevarar hans minne.
    Som ett träd bryts orättfärdigheten av.
21 Han handlar illa mot den ofruktsamma som ej kan föda,
änkan behandlar han inte väl.

22 Men Gud rycker bort de starka genom sin kraft.
När han griper in, kan de inte vara säkra för sitt liv.
23 Han ger dem trygghet och vila,
    men hans ögon vakar över deras vägar.
24 En kort tid är de upphöjda,
    sedan är de borta,
de slås ner och skördas som alla,
    de vissnar likt axens toppar.

25 Om det inte är så,
    vem kan visa att jag ljuger,
och göra mina ord om intet?

24 “Why aren’t times laid up by the Almighty?
    Why don’t those who know him see his days?
There are people who remove the landmarks.
    They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless,
    and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They turn the needy out of the way.
    The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert,
    they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food.
The wilderness yields them bread for their children.
    They cut their food in the field.
They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
    They lie all night naked without clothing,
and have no covering in the cold.
    They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.
    There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast,
and take a pledge of the poor,
10     so that they go around naked without clothing.
    Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
11 They make oil within the walls of these men.
    They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
12 From out of the populous city, men groan.
    The soul of the wounded cries out,
    yet God doesn’t regard the folly.

13 “These are of those who rebel against the light.
    They don’t know its ways,
    nor stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises with the light.
    He kills the poor and needy.
    In the night he is like a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight,
    saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
    He disguises his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses.
    They shut themselves up in the daytime.
    They don’t know the light.
17 For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness,
    for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.

18 “They are foam on the surface of the waters.
    Their portion is cursed in the earth.
    They don’t turn into the way of the vineyards.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters,
    so does Sheol[a] those who have sinned.
20 The womb will forget him.
    The worm will feed sweetly on him.
    He will be no more remembered.
    Unrighteousness will be broken as a tree.
21 He devours the barren who don’t bear.
    He shows no kindness to the widow.
22 Yet God preserves the mighty by his power.
    He rises up who has no assurance of life.
23 God gives them security, and they rest in it.
    His eyes are on their ways.
24 They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone.
    Yes, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others,
    and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.
25 If it isn’t so now, who will prove me a liar,
    and make my speech worth nothing?”

Footnotes

  1. 24:19 Sheol is the place of the dead.

24 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they 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: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

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

They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.

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

They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

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

10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;

11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.

12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.

13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

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

15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

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

17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

18 He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.

20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?