| Chapter 24 |
1 | Why, seeing times are not hid from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days? |
2 | Some remove the landmarks: they violently take away flocks, and their feed. |
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 hide themselves together. |
5 | Behold, as wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children. |
6 | They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked. |
7 | They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they 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 | They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor. |
10 | They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry; |
11 | Who make oil within their walls, and tread their wine-presses, and suffer thirst. |
12 | Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them. |
13 | They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not its ways, nor abide in its paths. |
14 | The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. |
15 | The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face. |
16 | In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the day-time: they know not the light. |
17 | For the morning is to them even as the shades of death: if one knoweth them, they are in the terrors of the shades of death. |
18 | He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards. |
19 | Drouth and heat consume the snow-waters: so doth the grave those who have sinned. |
20 | 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 | He oppresseth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow. |
22 | He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life. |
23 | Though it is given him to be in safety, on which he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways. |
24 | They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn. |
25 | And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech of no worth? |