To explore why righteous people suffer and to show that God's wisdom is beyond human understanding, yet He is just and faithful.
1Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
2{Some} remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed {thereof}. {feed...: or, feed them}
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. {corn: Heb. mingled corn, or, dredge} {they gather...: Heb. the wicked gather the vintage}
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;
11{Which} 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. {disguiseth...: Heb. setteth his face in secret}
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. {consume: Heb. violently take}
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. {no...: or, he trusteth not his own life}
23{Though} 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. {are gone: Heb. are not} {taken...: Heb. closed up}
25And if {it be} not {so} now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?