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 aren’t times laid up by the Almighty? Why don’t those who know him see his days?

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

There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed 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, and 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 turn the needy out of the way. The poor 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 donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for 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 cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.

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 embrace the rock for lack of a 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.

There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,

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

So that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.

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

They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and 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. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn’t regard the folly.

13 “ Then there are those who turn against the light. They do not want to know its ways or stay in its paths.

“These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know 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 needy. In the night he is like 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.’ He disguises 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. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They don’t know the light.

17 F or midnight is morning to them. They are not afraid of the fears of darkness.

For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick 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.

“They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They don’t turn into the way of the 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 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. Unrighteousness shall be broken as 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.

He devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness 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 God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance 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 in it. His eyes are on 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; yet a little while, and they are gone. Yes, 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.

25 I f it is not so, who can prove me a liar, and show that what I say means nothing?”

If it isn’t so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”