1 W hy are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know him see his days?

¶ Why, seeing that times are not hidden from the Almighty, do those that know him not see his days?

2 T here are that remove the landmarks; They violently take away flocks, and feed them.

Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and feed thereof.

3 T hey drive away the ass of the fatherless; They take the widow's ox for a pledge.

They drive away the ass of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

4 T hey turn the needy out of the way: The poor of the earth all hide themselves.

They turn the needy out of the way; and all the poor of the earth hide themselves from them.

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

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

6 T hey cut their provender in the field; And they glean the vintage of the wicked.

In the field they reap their fodder, and the wicked gather the vintage that is not theirs.

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

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

8 T hey are wet with the showers of the mountains, And embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

They are wet with the floods of the mountains and embrace the rock for want of a covering.

9 T here are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge of the poor;

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

10 S o that they go about naked without clothing, And being hungry they carry the sheaves.

They cause the naked to go without clothing, and they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

11 T hey make oil within the walls of these men; They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.

They press oil within their walls and tread their winepresses and suffer thirst.

12 F rom out of the populous city men groan, And the soul of the wounded crieth out: Yet God regardeth not the folly.

Men groan from out of the city, and the souls of the dead cry out; yet God did not hinder them.

13 T hese are of them that rebel against the light; They know not the ways thereof, Nor abide in the paths thereof.

¶ They are among those that rebel against the light; they have never known its ways nor abided in its paths.

14 T he murderer riseth with the light; He killeth the poor and needy; And in the night he is as a thief.

The murderer rises with the light, kills the poor and the needy, and in the night is as a thief.

15 T he eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, Saying, No eye shall see me: And he disguiseth his face.

The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me; and disguises his face.

16 I n the dark they dig through houses: They shut themselves up in the day-time; They know not the light.

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

17 F or the morning is to all of them as thick darkness; For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.

For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death; if they are known, the terrors of the shadow of death come over them.

18 S wiftly they pass away upon the face of the waters; Their portion is cursed in the earth: They turn not into the way of the vineyards.

¶ They are swift upon the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; they never come by the way of the vineyards.

19 D rought and heat consume the snow waters: So doth Sheol those that have sinned.

Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so does Sheol consume 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 as a tree.

The Merciful One shall forget them; the worm shall feed sweetly on them; they shall never be remembered again; and iniquity shall be broken as a tree.

21 H e devoureth the barren that beareth not, And doeth not good to the widow.

He afflicted the barren woman that did not conceive and never did good unto the widow.

22 Y et God preserveth the mighty by his power: He riseth up that hath no assurance of life.

He furthered the violent with his power; he did not lend to anyone in his life.

23 G od giveth them to be in security, and they rest thereon; And his eyes are upon their ways.

If he gave credit to some to take them over, his eyes were upon their ways.

24 T hey are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone; Yea, 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.

They were exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others and cut off as the tops of the heads of grain.

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

And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar or reduce my speech to nothing?