Job 24

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Why are not times set by the Almighty, and why do his friends not see his days?	1 Why does Shaddai not make known the times he has fixed; why do his faithful never see his Days?
2 The wicked remove landmarks; they steal away herds and pasture them.	2 The wicked move boundary-marks away, they carry off flock and shepherd.
3 The asses of orphans they drive away; they take the widow's ox for a pledge.	3 They drive away the orphan's donkey, as security, they seize the widow's ox.
4 They force the needy off the road; all the poor of the land are driven into hiding.	4 The needy have to keep out of the way, poor country people have to keep out of sight.
5 Like wild asses in the desert, these go forth to their task of seeking food; The steppe provides food for the young among them;	5 Like wild desert donkeys, they go out to work, searching from dawn for food, and at evening forsomething on which to feed their children.
6 they harvest at night in the untilled land.	6 They go harvesting in the field of some scoundrel, they go pilfering in the vineyards of the wicked.
7 They pass the night naked, without clothing, for they have no covering against the cold;	7 They spend the night naked, lacking clothes, with no covering against the cold.
8 They are drenched with the rain of the mountains, and for want of shelter they cling to the rock.	8 Mountain rainstorms cut them through, unsheltered, they hug the rocks.
	9 The orphan child is torn from the breast, the child of the poor is exacted as security.
10 and famished are those who carry the sheaves.	10 They go about naked, lacking clothes, and starving while they carry the sheaves.
11 Between the rows they press out the oil; they glean in the the vineyard of the wicked. They tread the wine presses, yet suffer thirst,	11 Two little wal s, their shelter at high noon; parched with thirst, they have to tread the winepress.
12 From the dust the dying groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out (yet God does not treat it as unseemly).	12 From the towns come the groans of the dying and the gasp of the wounded crying for help. Yet Godremains deaf to prayer!
13 There are those who are rebels against the light; they know not its ways; they abide not in its paths.	13 In contrast, there are those who reject the light: who know nothing of its ways and who do notfrequent its paths.
14 When there is no light the murderer rises, to kill the poor and needy.	14 When all is dark the murderer leaves his bed to kil the poor and needy. During the night the thiefgoes on the prowl,
15 The eye of the adulterer watches for the twilight; he says, "No eye will see me." In the night the thief roams about, and he puts a mask over his face;	15 The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight, 'No one wil see me,' he mutters as he masks his face.Inthe daytime they keep out of sight, these people who do not want to know the light.
16 in the dark he breaks into houses. By day they shut themselves in; none of them know the light,	16 breaking into houses while the darkness lasts.
17 for daylight they regard as darkness.	17 For al of them, morning is a time of shadow dark as death, since that is when they know what fear is.
18 Their portion in the land is accursed,	18
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20 and wickedness is splintered like wood.	20
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22 To him who rises without assurance of his life	22
23 he gives safety and support. He sustains the mighty by his strength, and his eyes are on their ways.	23
24 They are exalted for a while, and then they are gone; they are laid low and, like all others, are gathered up; like ears of grain they shrivel.	24
25 If this be not so, who will confute me, and reduce my argument to nought?	25 Is this not so? Who can prove me a liar or show that my words have no substance?