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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They push the needy off the road; All the poor of the land are forced to hide.

5 B ehold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.

Indeed, 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.

6 T hey cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.

They gather their fodder in the field And glean in 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 in the cold.

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

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

9 T here are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,

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

10 S o that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.

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

11 T hey make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.

They press out oil within their walls, And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.

12 F rom out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God doesn’t regard the folly.

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

13 “ These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths.

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

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

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

15 T he eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye shall see me.’ He disguises 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. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They don’t know the light.

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

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

For 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.

18 “ 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.

“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.

19 D rought and heat consume the snow waters, so does Sheol those who have sinned.

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

20 T he womb shall forget him. The worm shall feed sweetly on him. He shall be no more remembered. Unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.

The 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.

21 H e devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.

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

22 Y et God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.

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

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

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

24 T hey 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.

They 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.

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

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