1 W hy does He not set seasons for judgment? Why do those who know Him see not His days ?

“ Why are times not stored up by the Almighty, And why do those who know Him not see His days?

2 S ome remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and pasture them.

“ Some remove the landmarks; They seize and devour flocks.

3 T hey drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

4 T hey crowd the poor and needy off the road; the poor and meek of the earth all hide themselves.

“They push the needy aside from the road; The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.

5 B ehold, as wild asses in the desert, go forth to their work, seeking diligently for prey and food; the wilderness yields them bread for their children.

“Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness They go forth seeking food in their activity, As bread for their children in the desert.

6 T hey reap each one his fodder in a field, and they glean the vintage of the wicked man.

“They harvest their fodder in the field And glean the vineyard of the wicked.

7 T hey lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

“ They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold.

8 T hey are wet with the showers of the mountains and cling to the rock for want of shelter.

“They are wet with the mountain rains And hug the rock for want of a shelter.

9 p luck the fatherless infants from the breast, and take the poor for a pledge,

“ Others snatch the orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge.

10 S o that the needy go about naked for lack of clothing, and though hungry, they must carry the sheaves.

“They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing, And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

11 A mong the olive rows make oil; they tread the presses, but suffer thirst.

“Within the walls they produce oil; They tread wine presses but thirst.

12 F rom out of the populous city men groan, and the very life of the wounded cries for help; yet God regards not the wrong done them.

“From the city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not pay attention to folly.

13 T hese wrongdoers are of those who rebel against the light; they know not its ways nor stay in its paths.

“ Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor abide in its paths.

14 T he murderer rises with the light; he kills the poor and the needy, and in the night he becomes as a thief.

“The murderer arises at dawn; He kills the poor and the needy, And at night he is as a thief.

15 T he eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me, and he puts a disguise upon his face.

“The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ And he disguises his face.

16 I n the dark, they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the sunlight.

“In the dark they dig into houses, They shut themselves up by day; They do not know the light.

17 F or midnight is morning to all of them; for they are familiar with the terrors of deep darkness.

“For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

18 S wiftly such men pass away on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; turns into their vineyards.

“They are insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is cursed on the earth. They do not turn toward the vineyards.

19 D rought and heat consume the snow waters; so does Sheol (the place of the dead) those who have sinned.

“Drought and heat consume the snow waters, So does Sheol those who have sinned.

20 T he womb shall forget him, the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered, and unrighteousness shall be broken like a tree.

“A mother will forget him; The worm feeds sweetly till he is no longer remembered. And wickedness will be broken like a tree.

21 p reys upon the barren, childless woman and does no good to the widow.

“He wrongs the barren woman And does no good for the widow.

22 Y et prolongs the life of the mighty by His power; they rise up when they had despaired of life.

“But He drags off the valiant by His power; He rises, but no one has assurance of life.

23 G od gives them security, and they rest on it; and His eyes are upon their ways.

“He provides them with security, and they are supported; And His eyes are on their ways.

24 T hey are exalted for a little while, and then are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others are and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.

“They are exalted a little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.

25 A nd if this is not so, who will prove me a liar and make my speech worthless?

“Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?”