Study Desk

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

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

"People remove landmarks; They seize and devour flocks.

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

"They drive away the donkeys of orphans; They seize the widow's ox as a pledge.

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

"They push the needy aside from the road; The poor of the land have to hide themselves together.

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

"Behold, like wild donkeys in the wilderness They go out scavenging for food in their activity, As bread for their children in the desert.

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.

"They harvest their feed in the field And glean the vineyard of the wicked.

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

"They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold.

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

"They are wet from the mountain rains, And they hug the rock for lack of a shelter.

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

"Others snatch an orphan from the breast, And they seize it as a pledge against the poor.

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

"The poor move about naked without clothing, And they carry sheaves, while going hungry.

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

"Within the walls they produce oil; They tread wine presses but go thirsty.

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

"From the city people groan, And the souls of the wounded cry for help; Yet God does not pay attention to the offensiveness.

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

"Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor stay in its paths.

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

"The murderer arises at dawn; He kills the poor and the needy, And at 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.

"The eye of the adulterer watches for 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.

"In the darkness they dig into houses, They shut themselves up by day; 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.

"For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

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.

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

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

"Dryness and heat snatch away the snow waters, As Sheol snatches those who have sinned.

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

"A mother will forget him; The maggot feeds sweetly until he is no longer remembered. And injustice will 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.

"He wrongs the infertile woman, And does no good for the widow.

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

"But He drags off the mighty by His power; He rises, but no one has assurance of life.

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

"He provides them with security, and they are supported; And 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.

"They are exalted a little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are brought low, and like everything they are gathered up; Like the heads of grain they wither.

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.

"Now if it is not so, who can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?"

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