| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1"Why are times not appointed by the Almighty? Why do those who know him not see his days? | 1Why doesn't the Almighty reserve time for judgment? and why don't those who know him perceive his days? |
| 2Men move boundary stones; they seize the flock and pasture them. | 2They move boundary stones, steal flocks, and pasture them. |
| 3They drive away the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as a pledge. | 3They drive away the orphan's donkey; they take the ox of the widow as security for a loan; |
| 4They turn the needy from the pathway, and the poor of the land hide themselves together. | 4They push the needy off the road, and force the poor of the land into hiding. |
| 5Like wild donkeys in the desert they go out to their labor, seeking diligently for food; the wasteland provides food for them and 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. |
| 6They reap fodder in the field, and glean in the vineyard of the wicked. | 6They reap fodder in the field and glean in the vineyard of the wicked. |
| 7They spend the night naked because they lack clothing; they have no covering against the cold. | 7They spend the night naked, without clothing, with no covering against the cold. |
| 8They are soaked by mountain rains and huddle in the rocks because they lack shelter. | 8They are wet from mountain rains; without shelter, they cling to a rock. |
| 9The fatherless child is snatched from the breast, the infant of the poor is taken as a pledge. | 9"The fatherless are torn from the breast; the poor are taken away as security for a loan. |
| 10They go about naked, without clothing, and go hungry while they carry the sheaves. | 10They wander around naked, without clothes; hungry, though they carry sheaves of grain. |
| 11They press out the olive oil between the rows of olive trees; they tread the winepresses while they are thirsty. | 11They press oil between the olive groves owned by the wicked; they suffer from thirst, even while treading the winepress. |
| 12From the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry out for help, but God charges no one with wrongdoing. | 12From the city, dying men groan aloud, and the wounded cries out for help, but God charges no one with wrong. |
| 13There are those who rebel against the light; they do not know its ways and they do not 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. |
| 14Before daybreak the murderer rises up; he kills the poor and the needy; in the night he is like a thief. | 14The murderer rises at dawn to kill the poor and needy; at night, he is like a thief. |
| 15And the eye of the adulterer watches for the twilight, thinking, 'No eye can see me,' and covers his face with a mask. | 15The adulterer watches for twilight, saying, 'No eye is watching me' while he veils his face. |
| 16In the dark the robber breaks into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they do not know the light. | 16They break into houses in the dark; during the day they remained sealed in. They don't know daylight. |
| 17For all of them, the morning is to them like deep darkness; they are friends with the terrors of darkness. | 17As a group, deep darkness is their morning time; fear that lives in darkness is their friend." |
| 18"You say, 'He is foam on the face of the waters; their portion of the land is cursed so that no one goes to their vineyard. | 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. |
| 19The drought as well as the heat carry away the melted snow; so the grave takes away those who have sinned. | 19As drought and heat evaporate melting snow, that's what Sheol does with sinners. |
| 20The womb forgets him, the worm feasts on him, no longer will he be remembered. Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down. | 20The 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. |
| 21He preys on the barren and childless woman, and does not treat the widow well. | 21"They prey on the barren woman, and do no favors for widows. |
| 22But God drags off the mighty by his power; when God rises up against him, he has no faith in his life. | 22God prolongs the life of the strong by his power, but they get up in the morning without purpose in life. |
| 23God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways. | 23He gives them security and financial support, but he watches everything they do. |
| 24They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone, they are brought low like all others, and gathered in, and like a head of grain they are cut off.' | 24They're exalted momentarily, but then they are gone; they are humbled, just like all the others. They are cut down like heads of corn. |
| 25"If this is not so, who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?" | 25If this weren't so, who can prove that I'm a liar by showing that there's nothing to what I'm saying?" |
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