1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty?
And why do not they that know him see his days?
2 There are that remove the landmarks;
They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless;
They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way:
The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert
They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food;
The wilderness yieldeth them bread for their children.
6 They cut their provender in the field;
And they glean the vintage of the wicked.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing,
And have no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
And embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast,
And take a pledge of the poor;
10 So that they go about naked without clothing,
And being hungry they carry the sheaves.
11 They make oil within the walls of these men;
They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 From out of the populous city men groan,
And the soul of the wounded crieth out:
Yet God regardeth not the folly.
13 These are of them that rebel against the light;
They know not the ways thereof,
Nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 The murderer riseth with the light;
He killeth the poor and needy;
And in the night he is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight,
Saying, No eye shall see me:
And he disguiseth his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses:
They shut themselves up in the day-time;
They know not the light.
17 For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness;
For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
18 Swiftly they pass away upon the face of the waters;
Their portion is cursed in the earth:
They turn not into the way of the vineyards.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters:
So doth Sheol those that have sinned.
20 The womb shall forget him;
The worm shall feed sweetly on him;
He shall be no more remembered;
And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.
21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not,
And doeth not good to the widow.
22 Yet God preserveth the mighty by his power:
He riseth up that hath no assurance of life.
23 God giveth them to be in security, and they rest thereon;
And his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone;
Yea, 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 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar,
And make my speech nothing worth?
1 Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.
2 The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil.
3 The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,
4 They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth.
5 Lo, wild asses in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself -- food for young ones.
6 In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.
7 The naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold.
8 From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge -- have embraced a rock.
9 They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.
10 Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry -- have taken away a sheaf.
11 Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst.
12 Because of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise.
13 They have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths.
14 At the light doth the murderer rise, He doth slay the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief.
15 And the eye of an adulterer Hath observed the twilight, Saying, `No eye doth behold me.` And he putteth the face in secret.
16 He hath dug in the darkness -- houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light.
17 When together, morning [is] to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.
18 Light he [is] on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards.
19 Drought -- also heat -- consume snow-waters, Sheol [those who] have sinned.
20 Forget him doth the womb, Sweeten [on] him doth the worm, No more is he remembered, And broken as a tree is wickedness.
21 Treating evil the barren [who] beareth not, And [to] the widow he doth no good,
22 And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life.
23 He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes [are] on their ways.
24 High they were [for] a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. As all [others] they are shut up, And as the head of an ear of corn cut off.
25 And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?