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

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

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

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

3 T hey drive away the donkey of the fatherless; They take the widow’s ox as a pledge.

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

4 T hey push the needy off the road; All the poor of the land are forced to hide.

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

5 I ndeed, 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.

Behold, 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.

6 T hey gather their fodder in the field And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.

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

7 T hey spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering in the cold.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11 T hey press out oil within their walls, And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15 T he eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, ‘No eye will see me’; And he disguises his face.

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

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

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

17 F or 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.

For 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.

18 “ 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.

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

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

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

20 T he 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.

The 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 T hey 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.

They 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.

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

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