1 W herefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.

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

2 T he borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil.

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

3 T he ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,

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

4 T hey turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.

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

5 L o, wild asses in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself -- food for young ones.

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 I n a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.

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

7 T he naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.

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

8 F rom the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge -- have embraced a rock.

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

9 T hey take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.

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

10 N aked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry -- have taken away a sheaf.

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

11 B etween their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst.

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

12 B ecause of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise.

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 T hey have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths.

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

14 A t the light doth the murderer rise, He doth slay the poor and needy, And in the night he is as 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 A nd the eye of an adulterer Hath observed the twilight, Saying, `No eye doth behold me.' And he putteth the face in secret.

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 H e hath dug in the darkness -- houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.

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

17 W hen together, morning to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.

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

18 L ight he on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards.

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

19 D rought -- also heat -- consume snow-waters, Sheol have sinned.

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

20 F orget him doth the womb, Sweeten him doth the worm, No more is he remembered, And broken as a tree is wickedness.

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 T reating evil the barren beareth not, And the widow he doth no good,

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

22 A nd hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.

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

23 H e giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes on their ways.

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

24 H igh they were a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. As all they are shut up, And as the head of an ear of corn cut off.

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 A nd if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?

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