1 “ Since times are not hidden from the Almighty, Why do those who know Him see not His days?

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

2 “ Some remove landmarks; They seize flocks violently and feed on them;

Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and pasture them.

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

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

4 T hey push the needy off the road; All the poor of the land are forced to hide.

They crowd the poor and needy off the road; the poor and meek of the earth all hide themselves.

5 I ndeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, They go out to their work, searching for food. The wilderness yields food for them and for their children.

Behold, 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.

6 T hey gather their fodder in the field And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.

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

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

They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

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

They are wet with the showers of the mountains and cling to the rock for want of shelter.

9 “ Some snatch the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge from the poor.

pluck the fatherless infants from the breast, and take the poor for a pledge,

10 T hey cause the poor to go naked, without clothing; And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

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

11 T hey press out oil within their walls, And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.

Among the olive rows make oil; they tread the presses, but suffer thirst.

12 T he dying groan in the city, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not charge them with wrong.

From 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.

13 “ There are those who rebel against the light; They do not know its ways Nor abide in its paths.

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

14 T he murderer rises with the light; He kills the poor and needy; And in the night he is like a thief.

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

15 T he eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, ‘No eye will see me’; And he disguises his face.

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

16 I n the dark they break into houses Which they marked for themselves in the daytime; They do not know the light.

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

17 F or the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death; If someone recognizes them, They are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

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

18 “ They should be swift on the face of the waters, Their portion should be cursed in the earth, So that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards.

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

19 A s drought and heat consume the snow waters, So the grave consumes those who have sinned.

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

20 T he womb should forget him, The worm should feed sweetly on him; He should be remembered no more, And wickedness should be broken like a tree.

The 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.

21 F or he preys on the barren who do not bear, And does no good for the widow.

preys upon the barren, childless woman and does no good to the widow.

22 “ But God draws the mighty away with His power; He rises up, but no man is sure of life.

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

23 H e gives them security, and they rely on it; Yet His eyes are on their ways.

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

24 T hey are exalted for a little while, Then they are gone. They are brought low; They are taken out of the way like all others; They dry out like the heads of grain.

They 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.

25 “ Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar, And make my speech worth nothing?”

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