Job

The book of Job, chapter 24, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 24 New English Translation

The Apparent Indifference of God

   1 "Why are times not appointed by the Almighty? Why do those who know him not see his days?
   2 Men move boundary stones; they seize the flock and pasture them.
   3 They drive away the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as a pledge.
   4 They turn the needy from the pathway, and the poor of the land hide themselves together.
   5 Like wild donkeys in the desert they go out to their labor, seeking diligently for food; the wasteland provides food for them and for their children.
   6 They reap fodder in the field, and glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
   7 They spend the night naked because they lack clothing; they have no covering against the cold.
   8 They are soaked by mountain rains and huddle in the rocks because they lack shelter.
   9 The fatherless child is snatched from the breast, the infant of the poor is taken as a pledge.
   10 They go about naked, without clothing, and go hungry while they carry the sheaves.
   11 They press out the olive oil between the rows of olive trees; they tread the winepresses while they are thirsty.
   12 From the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry out for help, but God charges no one with wrongdoing.
   13 There are those who rebel against the light; they do not know its ways and they do not stay on its paths.
   14 Before daybreak the murderer rises up; he kills the poor and the needy; in the night he is like a thief.
   15 And the eye of the adulterer watches for the twilight, thinking, 'No eye can see me,' and covers his face with a mask.
   16 In the dark the robber breaks into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they do not know the light.
   17 For all of them, the morning is to them like deep darkness; they are friends with the terrors of darkness.
   18 "You say, 'He is foam on the face of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed so that no one goes to their vineyard.
   19 The drought as well as the heat carry away the melted snow; so the grave takes away those who have sinned.
   20 The womb forgets him, the worm feasts on him, no longer will he be remembered. Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down.
   21 He preys on the barren and childless woman, and does not treat the widow well.
   22 But God drags off the mighty by his power; when God rises up against him, he has no faith in his life.
   23 God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways.
   24 They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone, they are brought low like all others, and gathered in, and like a head of grain they are cut off.'
   25 "If this is not so, who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?"

King James Version

   1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
   2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
   3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
   4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
   5 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.
   6 They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
   7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
   8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
   9 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?