Job 24

Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

1Job said, "God is the Almighty, the one with all power. Times and days are never hidden from him. So why does he not set a day to judge wrong? Why do people who know him never see that day?"

2Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.

2Some men move the stones that mark where a field ends. They take flocks of sheep by force and feed them.

NoteLandmarks were stones set in the ground to show where one person's field ended and the next began. Moving them was a way of stealing land.

3They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

3They lead away the donkey of a child whose father has died. They take a widow's ox to hold until she pays.

NoteA "pledge" was something you handed over to prove you would pay back a debt. Taking a widow's ox took away the animal she needed to farm.

4They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

4They push needy people off the road. The poor of the land all go and hide.

5Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.

5The poor go out to work like wild donkeys in the desert. They hunt for food in dry, empty land. That land is all their children get to eat.

6They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.

6They gather food in fields that are not their own. They pick leftover grapes in the vineyards of bad men.

7They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

7They spend the night with no clothes on. They have nothing to cover them in the cold.

8They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

8Rain from the mountains soaks them. They press against the rocks because they have no shelter.

9They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.

9Babies whose fathers died are pulled away from the breast. A poor family's child is taken to pay a debt.

10They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;

10The poor walk around with no clothes to wear. They carry in the grain, but they stay hungry.

11Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.

11They crush olives for oil inside rich men's walls. They stomp grapes for wine, but they stay thirsty.

12Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.

12In the city, people groan in pain. Hurt people cry out for help. Yet God does not charge anyone with doing wrong.

NoteThe King James wording "God layeth not folly to them" means God does not charge anyone with doing wrong. Job is saying the cruel people are not being punished.

13They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

13Some people fight against the light. They do not know the ways of the light. They will not stay on its paths.

14The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

14When the daylight is gone, the killer gets up. He kills poor and needy people. At night he acts like a thief.

15The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

15The man who breaks his marriage promise waits for dusk. He thinks, "No one will see me." Then he covers his face.

16In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.

16In the dark they dig into houses. By day they shut themselves inside. They want nothing to do with light.

17For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

17Deep darkness is like morning to them. They feel at home with the fears of the night.

18He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

18Job said, such men are like foam on top of water. Their piece of land is cursed. No one turns toward their vineyards.

19Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.

19Heat and dry air melt the snow water away. In the same way, the grave takes people who have sinned.

20The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

20Even the mother who bore him forgets him. Worms feed on his body. No one remembers him at all. Wrong is broken like a tree.

21He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

21He treats women who have no children badly. He shows no kindness to widows.

22He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

22But God's power drags strong men away. They stand up, but they cannot be sure of their lives.

23Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

23God may let them feel safe for a while. But his eyes are watching everything they do.

24They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

24They are lifted up high for a short time. Then they are gone and brought low. They are gathered up like everyone else. They are cut off like the tops of grain.

Note"Corn" in the King James Bible means grain of any kind, like wheat or barley. It does not mean corn on the cob.

25And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

25Job said, "If this is not true, who can prove me a liar? Who can show that my words mean nothing?"