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. feed…: or, feed them
3 They drive away the donkey 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 donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work; rising early for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
6 They reap every one his grain in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked. corn: Heb. mingled corn, or, dredgethey gather…: Heb. the wicked gather the vintage
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 winepresses, 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. disguiseth…: Heb. setteth his face in secret
16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one knoweth them, they are in the terrors of the shadow 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 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those who have sinned. consume: Heb. violently take
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 wrongeth 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. no…: or, he trusteth not his own 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 heads of grain. are gone: Heb. are nottaken…: Heb. closed up
25 And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech of no worth?