Job 24 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 24 ▼
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1 “Why does the Almighty not set seasons for judgment? Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]? “Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days? “Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?
2 “Some remove the landmarks; They [violently] seize and pasture flocks [appropriating land and flocks openly]. Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them. There are those who move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen.
3 “They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow’s ox for a pledge. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. They drive away the orphan’s donkey and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
4 “They crowd the needy off the road; The poor of the land all hide themselves. They thrust the poor off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves. They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
5 “Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, The poor go to their work, diligently seeking food; As bread for their children in the desert. Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert the poor go out to their toil, seeking game; the wasteland yields food for their children. Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children.
6 “They harvest their fodder in a field [that is not their own], And glean the vineyard of the wicked. They gather their fodder in the field, and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man. They gather fodder in the fields and glean in the vineyards of the wicked.
7 “They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold. They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked; they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold.
8 “They are wet from the rain of the mountains And cling to the rock for lack of shelter. They are wet with the rain of the mountains and cling to the rock for lack of shelter. They are drenched by mountain rains and hug the rocks for lack of shelter.
9 “Others snatch the fatherless [infants] from the breast [to sell or make them slaves], And against the poor they take a pledge [of clothing]. (There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor.) The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.
10 “They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing, And they take away the sheaves [of grain] from the hungry. They go about naked, without clothing; hungry, they carry the sheaves; Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
11 “Within the walls [of the wicked] the poor make [olive] oil; They tread [the grapes in] the wine presses, but thirst. among the olive rows of the wicked they make oil; they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst. They crush olives among the terraces; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
12 “From the [populous and crowded] city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out for help; Yet God [seemingly] does not pay attention to the wrong [done to them]. From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God charges no one with wrong. The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing.
13 “Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor stay in its paths. “There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths. “There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths.
14 “The murderer rises at dawn; He kills the poor and the needy, And at night he becomes a thief. The murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the night he is like a thief. When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up, kills the poor and needy, and in the night steals forth like a thief.
15 “The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, ‘No eye will see me,’ And he covers his face. The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me’; and he veils his face. The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’ and he keeps his face concealed.
16 “In the dark they dig into [the penetrable walls of] houses; They shut themselves up by day; They do not know the light [of day]. In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light. In the dark, thieves break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light.
17 “For the morning is the same to him as the thick darkness [of midnight]; For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness. For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness. For all of them, midnight is their morning; they make friends with the terrors of darkness.
18 “They are insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is cursed on the earth; They do not turn toward the vineyards. “You say, ‘Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land; no treader turns toward their vineyards. “Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one goes to the vineyards.
19 “Drought and heat consume the snow waters; So does Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) [consume] those who have sinned. Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned. As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.
20 “A mother will forget him; The worm feeds on him until he is no longer remembered. And wickedness will be broken like a tree [which cannot be restored]. The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree.’ The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; the wicked are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree.
21 “He preys on the barren (childless) woman And does no good for the widow. “They wrong the barren, childless woman, and do no good to the widow. They prey on the barren and childless woman, and to the widow they show no kindness.
22 “Yet God draws away the mighty by His power; He rises, but no one has assurance of life. Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life. But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.
23 “God gives them security, and they are supported; And His eyes are on their ways. He gives them security, and they are supported, and his eyes are upon their ways. He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but his eyes are on their ways.
24 “They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low and like everything [they are] gathered up and taken out of the way; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off. They are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like the heads of grain. For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.
25 “And if this is not so, who can prove me a liar And make my speech worthless?” If it is not so, who will prove me a liar and show that there is nothing in what I say?” “If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?”
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