24 ¹Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days? ²Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof. ³They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge. ⁴They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together. ⁵Behold, 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. ⁶They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked. ⁷They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold. ⁸They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter. ⁹They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor. ¹⁰They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry; ¹¹Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst. ¹²Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them. ¹³They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. ¹⁴The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. ¹⁵The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face. ¹⁶In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light. ¹⁷For 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. ¹⁸He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards. ¹⁹Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned. ²⁰The 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. ²¹He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow. ²²He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life. ²³Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways. ²⁴They 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. ²⁵And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

25 ¹Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, ²Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. ³Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise? ⁴How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? ⁵Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. ⁶How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

26 ¹But Job answered and said, ²How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength? ³How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? ⁴To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee? ⁵Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof. ⁶Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. ⁷He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. ⁸He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. ⁹He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it. ¹⁰He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end. ¹¹The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof. ¹²He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. ¹³By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. ¹⁴Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

27 ¹Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, ²As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; ³All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; ⁴My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. ⁵God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. ⁶My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. ⁷Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. ⁸For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? ⁹Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? ¹⁰Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? ¹¹I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. ¹²Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain? ¹³This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. ¹⁴If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. ¹⁵Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. ¹⁶Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; ¹⁷He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. ¹⁸He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. ¹⁹The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. ²⁰Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. ²¹The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. ²²For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. ²³Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.