| NET Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1"Why are times not appointed by the Almighty? Why do those who know him not see his days? | 1“Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days? |
| 2Men move boundary stones; they seize the flock and pasture them. | 2Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them. |
| 3They drive away the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as a pledge. | 3They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. |
| 4They turn the needy from the pathway, and the poor of the land hide themselves together. | 4They thrust the poor off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves. |
| 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. | 5Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert the poor go out to their toil, seeking game; the wasteland yields food for their children. |
| 6They reap fodder in the field, and glean in the vineyard of the wicked. | 6They gather their fodder in the field, and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man. |
| 7They spend the night naked because they lack clothing; they have no covering against the cold. | 7They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. |
| 8They are soaked by mountain rains and huddle in the rocks because they lack shelter. | 8They are wet with the rain of the mountains and cling to the rock for lack of shelter. |
| 9The fatherless child is snatched from the breast, the infant of the poor is taken as a pledge. | 9(There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor.) |
| 10They go about naked, without clothing, and go hungry while they carry the sheaves. | 10They go about naked, without clothing; hungry, they carry the sheaves; |
| 11They press out the olive oil between the rows of olive trees; they tread the winepresses while they are thirsty. | 11among the olive rows of the wicked they make oil; they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst. |
| 12From the city the dying groan, and the wounded cry out for help, but God charges no one with wrongdoing. | 12From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet 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“There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths. |
| 14Before daybreak the murderer rises up; he kills the poor and the needy; in the night he is like a thief. | 14The murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the 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 eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me’; and 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. | 16In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light. |
| 17For all of them, the morning is to them like deep darkness; they are friends with the terrors of darkness. | 17For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness. |
| 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“You say, ‘Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land; no treader turns toward their vineyards. |
| 19The drought as well as the heat carry away the melted snow; so the grave takes away those who have sinned. | 19Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned. |
| 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 forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree.’ |
| 21He preys on the barren and childless woman, and does not treat the widow well. | 21“They wrong the barren, childless woman, and do no good to the widow. |
| 22But God drags off the mighty by his power; when God rises up against him, he has no faith in his life. | 22Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life. |
| 23God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways. | 23He gives them security, and they are supported, and his eyes are upon their ways. |
| 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 are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like the heads of grain. |
| 25"If this is not so, who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?" | 25If it is not so, who will prove me a liar and show that there is nothing in what I say?” |
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