Job's Eighth Speech, Continued

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

1 (A)Why are (a)times not stored up by the Almighty,And why do those who know Him not see (B)His days?

1 Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment?(A)Why do those who know Him never see His days?

1 Why doesn't the Almighty reserve time for judgment? And why don't those who know him perceive his days?

1 “Why does the Almighty not set seasons for judgment?Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]?(A)

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

2 (b)Some (C)remove the landmarks;They seize and (c)devour flocks.

2 The wicked displace boundary markers.They steal a flock and provide pasture for it.

2 They move boundary stones, steal flocks, and pasture them.

2 “Some remove the landmarks;They [violently] seize and pasture flocks [appropriating land and flocks openly].

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

3 “They drive away the donkeys of the (D)orphans;They take the (E)widow’s ox for a pledge.

3 They drive away the donkeys owned by the fatherless(B)and take the widow’s ox as collateral.

3 They drive away the orphan's donkey; they take the ox of the widow as security for a loan;

3 “They drive away the donkeys of the orphans;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.

4 “They push (F)the needy aside from the road;The (G)poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.

4 They push the needy off the road;the poor of the land are forced into hiding.(C)

4 They push the needy off the road, and force the poor of the land into hiding.

4 “They crowd the needy off the road;The poor of the land all hide themselves.

5 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.

5 “Behold, as (H)wild donkeys in the wildernessThey (I)go forth seeking food in their activity,As (d)bread for their children in the desert.

5 Like wild donkeys in the desert,the poor go out to their task of foraging for food;the wilderness provides nourishment for their children.

5 "Look! Like wild donkeys in the wilderness, they work diligently as they seek wild game in the desert, food for them and their young ones.

5 “Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert,The poor go to their work, diligently seeking food;As bread for their children in the desert.

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

6 “They harvest their fodder in the fieldAnd glean the vineyard of the wicked.

6 They gather their fodder in the fieldand glean the vineyards of the wicked.

6 They reap fodder in the field and glean in the vineyard of the wicked.

6 “They harvest their fodder in a field [that is not their own],And glean the vineyard of the wicked.

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

7 (J)They spend the night naked, without clothing,And have no covering against the cold.

7 Without clothing, they spend the night naked,having no covering against the cold.(D)

7 They spend the night naked, without clothing, with no covering against the cold.

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

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

8 “They are wet with the mountain rainsAnd hug the rock for want of a shelter.

8 Drenched by mountain rains,they huddle against(a) the rocks, shelterless.

8 They are wet from mountain rains; without shelter, they cling to a rock.

8 “They are wet from the rain of the mountainsAnd cling to the rock for lack of shelter.

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

9 (e)Others snatch the (K)orphan from the breast,And against the poor they take a pledge.

9 The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast;the nursing child of the poor is seized as collateral.(b)

9 "The fatherless are torn from the breast; the poor are taken away as security for a loan.

9 “Others snatch the fatherless [infants] from the breast [to sell or make them slaves],And against the poor they take a pledge [of clothing].

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

10 “They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing,And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

10 Without clothing, they wander about naked.They carry sheaves but go hungry.(E)

10 They wander around naked, without clothes; hungry, though they carry sheaves of grain.

10 “They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing,And they take away the sheaves [of grain] from the hungry.

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

11 “Within the walls they produce oil;They tread wine presses but thirst.

11 They crush olives in their presses;(c)they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.

11 They press oil between the olive groves owned by the wicked; they suffer from thirst, even while treading the winepress.

11 “Within the walls [of the wicked] the poor make [olive] oil;They tread [the grapes in] the wine presses, but thirst.

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

12 “From the city men groan,And the souls of the wounded cry out;Yet God (L)does not pay attention to folly.

12 From the city, men(d) groan;the mortally wounded cry for help,yet God pays no attention to this crime.(F)

12 From the city, dying men groan aloud, and the wounded cries out for help, but God charges no one with wrong.

12 “From the [populous and crowded] city men groan,And the souls of the wounded cry out for help;Yet God [seemingly] does not pay attention to the wrong [done to them].

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

13 (f)Others have been with those who rebel against the light;They do not want to know its waysNor abide in its paths.

13 The wicked are those who rebel against the light.They do not recognize its waysor stay on its paths.

13 "Then there are those who rebel against the light; they are not acquainted with its ways; and they don't stay on its course.

13 “Others have been with those who rebel against the light;They do not want to know its waysNor stay in its paths.

14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

14 “The murderer (M)arises at dawn;He (N)kills the poor and the needy,And at night he is as a thief.

14 The murderer rises at dawnto kill the poor and needy,and by night he becomes a thief.

14 The murderer rises at dawn to kill the poor and needy; at night, he is like a thief.

14 “The murderer rises at dawn;He kills the poor and the needy,And at night he becomes a thief.

15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

15 “The eye of the (O)adulterer waits for the twilight,Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’And he (g)disguises his face.

15 The adulterer’s eye watches for twilight,thinking: No eye will see me;he covers his face.

15 The adulterer watches for twilight, saying, "No eye is watching me' while he veils his face.

15 “The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,Saying, ‘No eye will see me,’And he covers his face.

16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.

16 “In the dark they (P)dig into houses,They (Q)shut themselves up by day;They do not know the light.

16 In the dark they break(e) into houses;by day they lock themselves in,(f)never experiencing the light.

16 They break into houses in the dark; during the day they remained sealed in. They don't know daylight.

16 “In the dark they dig into [the penetrable walls of] houses;They shut themselves up by day;They do not know the light [of day].

17 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.

17 “For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness,For he is familiar with the (R)terrors of thick darkness.

17 For the morning is like darkness to them.Surely they are familiar with the terrors of darkness!

17 As a group, deep darkness is their morning time; fear that lives in darkness is their friend."

17 “For the morning is the same to him as the thick darkness [of midnight];For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.

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

18 “They are (h)(S)insignificant on the surface of the water;Their portion is (T)cursed on the earth.They do not turn (i)toward the (U)vineyards.

18 They float(g) on the surface of the water.Their section of the land is cursed,so that they never go to their vineyards.

18 "They remain only a short time on the water's surface; their inheritance will be cursed in the land; no one will work in their vineyards.

18 “They are insignificant on the surface of the water;Their portion is cursed on the earth;They do not turn toward the vineyards.

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

19 “Drought and heat (j)(V)consume the snow waters,So does (k)(W)Sheol those who have sinned.

19 As dry ground and heat snatch away the melted snow,so Sheol(G) steals those who have sinned.

19 As drought and heat evaporate melting snow, that's what Sheol does with sinners.

19 “Drought and heat consume the snow waters;So does Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) [consume] 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.

20 “A (l)(X)mother will forget him;The (Y)worm feeds sweetly till he is (Z)no longer remembered.And wickedness will be broken (AA)like a tree.

20 The womb forgets them;worms feed on them;they are remembered(H) no more.So injustice is broken like a tree.

20 The womb will forget them. Maggots will find them to be a delicacy! They won't be remembered anymore, their iniquity will be cut to pieces like firewood.

20 “A mother will forget him;The worm feeds on him until he is no longer remembered.And wickedness will be broken like a tree [which cannot be restored].(B)

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

21 “He wrongs the (m)barren womanAnd does no good for (AB)the widow.

21 They prey on(h) the childless woman who is unable to conceive,and do not deal kindly with the widow.

21 "They prey on the barren woman, and do no favors for widows.

21 “He preys on the barren (childless) womanAnd does no good for the widow.

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

22 “But He drags off the valiant by (AC)His power;He rises, but (AD)no one has assurance of life.

22 Yet God drags away(i) the mighty by His power;when He rises up, they have no assurance of life.

22 God prolongs the life of the strong by his power, but they get up in the morning without purpose in life.

22 “Yet God draws away the mighty by His power;He rises, but no one has assurance of life.

23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

23 “He provides them (AE)with security, and they are supported;And His (AF)eyes are on their ways.

23 He gives them a sense of security, so they can rely on it,(I)but His eyes(J) watch over their ways.

23 He gives them security and financial support, but he watches everything they do.

23 “God gives them security, and they are supported;And His eyes are on 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 other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

24 “They are exalted a (AG)little while, then they are gone;Moreover, they are (AH)brought low and like everything gathered up;Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.

24 They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone;they are brought low and shrivel up like everything else.(j)They wither like heads of grain.(K)

24 They're exalted momentarily, but then they are gone; they are humbled, just like all the others. They are cut down like heads of corn.

24 “They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone;Moreover, they are brought low and like everything [they are] gathered up and taken out of the way;Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.

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

25 “Now if it is not so, (AI)who can prove me a liar,And make my speech worthless?”

25 If this is not true, then who can prove me a liar(L)and show that my speech is worthless?

25 If this weren't so, who can prove that I'm a liar by showing that there's nothing to what I'm saying?"

25 “And if this is not so, who can prove me a liarAnd make my speech worthless?”

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