Job 24

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24 <1> "Why is it that God All-Powerful

knows when [bad] things are going to happen,

but his followers cannot predict when he is going to do something about it?

<2> "People move the property markers

to get more of their neighbor's land.

People steal flocks and lead them

to other grasslands.

<3> They steal the donkey

that belongs to children without parents.

They take a widow's cow away from her

until she pays what she owes them.

<9>[49] Evil people take a nursing baby from its mother.

They take a poor person's child

as security[50] for a loan.

<4> They force the poor

to move out of their way and to get off the road.

<5> "The poor are like wild donkeys

that wander in the desert searching for food for their children.

They get up early in the morning to search for food.

They work late into the evening

gathering food for their children.

<6> They must work late into the night

cutting hay and straw in fields.

They must work for the rich[51]

gathering the grapes in their vineyards.[52]

<7> They must sleep all night without clothes.

They have no covers to protect them from the cold.

<8> They are soaked with rain in the mountains.

They have nothing to protect them from the cold,

so they huddle close to the large rocks.

<10> They have no clothes,

so they work naked.

They carry piles of grain for evil people,

but still they go hungry.

<11> They press out olive oil.

They walk on grapes in the winepress,[53]

but they have nothing to drink.

<12> In the city you can hear

the sad sounds of dying people.

Those who are hurt cry out for help,

but God does not listen.

<13> "Some people rebel against the light.

They don't know what God wants.

They don't live the way he wants.

<14> A murderer gets up early in the morning,

and kills poor, helpless people.

And at night he becomes a thief.

<15> A man who commits adultery,[54]

waits for the night to come.

He thinks, 'No one will see me.'

But still, he covers his face.

<16> At night when it is dark,

evil people go out and break into houses.

But during the daylight,

they lock themselves in their homes and avoid the light.

<17> The darkest night is like morning

for these evil people.

Yes, they know the terrors of that

deadly darkness very well.

<18> "[You say,] 'But evil people are taken away

like things carried away in a flood.

The land they own is cursed,[55]

so they will not gather grapes from their vineyards.

<19> Hot, dry weather takes away their water

that came from the winter snows.

In the same way sinners will be carried to the grave.

<20> These evil people will die;

even their own mothers will forget them.

Their sweethearts will be the worms eating their bodies.

People will not remember them.

These evil people will be broken like a rotten stick!

<21> Evil men hurt women who have no children to protect them,

and they refuse to help widows.

<22> They use their power

to ruin powerful men.

They might become powerful,

but they cannot be sure of their own lives.

<23> They might feel safe and secure for a short time.

They might want to be powerful.

<24> Evil people might be successful for a while,

but then they will be gone.

They will be cut down like grain,

like everyone else.'

<25> "I swear these things are true!

Who can prove that I lied?

Who can show that I am wrong?"