1 “ Why are times for judging not set up by the All-powerful? And why do those who know Him not see these days?

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

2 S ome take away the land-marks and take fields and animals.

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

3 T hey drive away the donkeys that belong to those who have no parents. They take the bull that belongs to a woman whose husband has died, as a promise that she will pay what she owes.

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

4 T hey push poor people off the road. All the poor of the land are made to hide themselves.

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

5 S ee, they go out like wild donkeys in the desert to look for food 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 food in the fields, and gather what they can that is left from the grape-fields owned by the sinful.

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

7 T hey lie all night 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 mountain rains and stay close to the rocks for cover.

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

9 O thers take from the breast the child who has no father. They take the child from the poor as a promise that they will pay what they owe.

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

10 T hey make the poor go about without clothing, making them carry loads of cut grain while they are hungry.

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

11 A mong the olive trees they make oil. They crush grapes but they are thirsty.

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

12 M en from the city cry inside themselves. The souls of those who are hurt cry out. Yet God does not listen to their prayer.

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 “ Then there are those who turn against the light. They do not want to know its ways or stay 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 one who kills people gets up early in the morning. He kills the poor and those in need. And during the night he is like a robber.

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 one who is not faithful in marriage waits for the evening, saying, ‘No one will see me.’ And he covers 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 dig into houses. They shut themselves up during the day and 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 midnight is morning to them. They are not afraid of the fears of darkness.

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

18 “ They are taken away on the top of the waters. Their part of the earth is cursed. They do not go to their grape-fields.

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

19 D ry weather and heat take away the water from the snow, just as the place of the dead takes away those who have sinned.

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

20 A mother will forget him. The worm is pleased to eat him until he is remembered no more. Sin will 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 H e does wrong to the woman who cannot give birth. And he does no good for the woman whose husband has died.

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

22 B ut God by His power gives long life to the strong. They rise again, even when they had no hope of life.

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

23 H e makes them safe and gives them strength, and 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 given honor for a little while, and then they are gone. They are brought low and gathered up as all others are. They are cut off 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 I f it is not so, who can prove me a liar, and show that what I say means nothing?”

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