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

“ Why are times not stored up by the Almighty, And why do those who know Him not see His days?

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

“ Some remove the landmarks; They seize and devour flocks.

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

“They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

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

“They push the needy aside from the road; The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.

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.

“Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness They go forth seeking food in their activity, As bread for their children in the desert.

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

“They harvest their fodder in the field And glean 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 against 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 mountain rains And hug the rock for want of a shelter.

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

“ Others snatch the orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge.

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

“They cause the poor to go about 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.

“Within the walls they produce oil; They tread wine presses but 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.

“From the city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not pay attention to folly.

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

“ Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to 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 arises at dawn; He kills the poor and the needy, And at night he is as 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 dig into houses, They shut themselves up by day; 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 him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

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 are insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is cursed on the earth. They do not turn toward the vineyards.

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

“Drought and heat consume the snow waters, So does Sheol 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.

“A mother will forget him; The worm feeds sweetly till he is no longer remembered. And wickedness will be broken like a tree.

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

“He wrongs the barren woman 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 He drags off the valiant by His power; He rises, but no one has assurance of life.

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

“He provides them with security, and they are supported; And 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 a little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low and like everything gathered up; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.

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 can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?”