1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know him see his days?

1 מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים וְיֹדְעֹו וְ֝יֹדְעָ֗יו לֹא־חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו׃

2 There are that remove the landmarks; They violently take away flocks, and feed them.

2 גְּבֻלֹ֥ות יַשִּׂ֑יגוּ עֵ֥דֶר גָּ֝זְל֗וּ וַיִּרְעֽוּ׃

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

3 חֲמֹ֣ור יְתֹומִ֣ים יִנְהָ֑גוּ יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּ שֹׁ֣ור אַלְמָנָֽה׃

4 They turn the needy out of the way: The poor of the earth all hide themselves.

4 יַטּ֣וּ אֶבְיֹונִ֣ים מִדָּ֑רֶךְ יַ֥חַד חֻ֝בְּא֗וּ עֲנִיֵּי־אָֽרֶץ׃

5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; The wilderness `yieldeth' them bread for their children.

5 הֵ֤ן פְּרָאִ֨ים׀ בַּֽמִּדְבָּ֗ר יָצְא֣וּ בְּ֭פָעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵ֣י לַטָּ֑רֶף עֲרָבָ֥ה לֹ֥ו לֶ֝֗חֶם לַנְּעָרִֽים׃

6 They cut their provender in the field; And they glean the vintage of the wicked.

6 בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה בְּלִילֹ֣ו יַקְצִירוּ יִקְצֹ֑ורוּ וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃

7 They lie all night naked without clothing, And have no covering in the cold.

7 עָרֹ֣ום יָ֭לִינוּ מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת בַּקָּרָֽה׃

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

8 מִזֶּ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים יִרְטָ֑בוּ וּֽמִבְּלִ֥י מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה חִבְּקוּ־צֽוּר׃

9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge of the poor;

9 יִ֭גְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁ֣ד יָתֹ֑ום וְֽעַל־עָנִ֥י יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃

10 `So that' they go about naked without clothing, And being hungry they carry the sheaves.

10 עָרֹ֣ום הִ֭לְּכוּ בְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗ים נָ֣שְׂאוּ עֹֽמֶר׃

11 They make oil within the walls of these men; They tread `their' winepresses, and suffer thirst.

11 בֵּין־שׁוּרֹתָ֥ם יַצְהִ֑ירוּ יְקָבִ֥ים דָּ֝רְכ֗וּ וַיִּצְמָֽאוּ׃

12 From out of the populous city men groan, And the soul of the wounded crieth out: Yet God regardeth not the folly.

12 מֵ֘עִ֤יר מְתִ֨ים׀ יִנְאָ֗קוּ וְנֶֽפֶשׁ־חֲלָלִ֥ים תְּשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וֶ֝אֱלֹ֗והַּ לֹא־יָשִׂ֥ים תִּפְלָֽה׃

13 These are of them that rebel against the light; They know not the ways thereof, Nor abide in the paths thereof.

13 הֵ֤מָּה׀ הָיוּ֮ בְּֽמֹרְדֵ֫י־אֹ֥ור לֹֽא־הִכִּ֥ירוּ דְרָכָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָ֝שְׁב֗וּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃

14 The murderer riseth with the light; He killeth the poor and needy; And in the night he is as a thief.

14 לָאֹ֡ור יָ֘ק֤וּם רֹוצֵ֗חַ יִֽקְטָל־עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְיֹ֑ון וּ֝בַלַּ֗יְלָה יְהִ֣י כַגַּנָּֽב׃

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

15 וְעֵ֤ין נֹאֵ֨ף׀ שָׁ֤מְרָֽה נֶ֣שֶׁף לֵ֭אמֹר לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵ֣נִי עָ֑יִן וְסֵ֖תֶר פָּנִ֣ים יָשִֽׂים׃

16 In the dark they dig through houses: They shut themselves up in the day-time; They know not the light.

16 חָתַ֥ר בַּחֹ֗שֶׁךְ בָּ֫תִּ֥ים יֹומָ֥ם חִתְּמוּ־לָ֗מֹו לֹא־יָ֥דְעוּ אֹֽור׃

17 For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness; For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.

17 כִּ֤י יַחְדָּ֨ו׀ בֹּ֣קֶר לָ֣מֹו צַלְמָ֑וֶת כִּֽי־יַ֝כִּ֗יר בַּלְהֹ֥ות צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

18 Swiftly they `pass away' upon the face of the waters; Their portion is cursed in the earth: They turn not into the way of the vineyards.

18 קַֽל־ה֤וּא׀ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַ֗יִם תְּקֻלַּ֣ל חֶלְקָתָ֣ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־יִ֝פְנֶה דֶּ֣רֶךְ כְּרָמִֽים׃

19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: `So doth' Sheol `those that' have sinned.

19 צִיָּ֤ה גַם־חֹ֗ם יִגְזְל֥וּ מֵֽימֵי־שֶׁ֗לֶג שְׁאֹ֣ול חָטָֽאוּ׃

20 The womb shall forget him; The worm shall feed sweetly on him; He shall be no more remembered; And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree.

20 יִשְׁכָּ֘חֵ֤הוּ רֶ֨חֶם׀ מְתָ֘קֹ֤ו רִמָּ֗ה עֹ֥וד לֹֽא־יִזָּכֵ֑ר וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֖ר כָּעֵ֣ץ עַוְלָֽה׃

21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not, And doeth not good to the widow.

21 רֹעֶ֣ה עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד וְ֝אַלְמָנָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב׃

22 Yet `God' preserveth the mighty by his power: He riseth up that hath no assurance of life.

22 וּמָשַׁ֣ךְ אַבִּירִ֣ים בְּכֹחֹ֑ו יָ֝ק֗וּם וְֽלֹא־יַאֲמִ֥ין בַּֽחַיִּֽין׃

23 `God' giveth them to be in security, and they rest thereon; And his eyes are upon their ways.

23 יִתֶּן־לֹ֣ו לָ֭בֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵ֑ן וְ֝עֵינֵ֗יהוּ עַל־דַּרְכֵיהֶֽם׃

24 They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone; Yea, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, And are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.

24 רֹ֤ומּוּ מְּעַ֨ט³׀ וְֽאֵינֶ֗נּוּ וְֽהֻמְּכ֗וּ כַּכֹּ֥ל יִקָּפְצ֑וּן וּכְרֹ֖אשׁ שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת יִמָּֽלוּ׃

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

25 וְאִם־לֹ֣א אֵ֭פֹו מִ֣י יַכְזִיבֵ֑נִי וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְ֝אַ֗ל מִלָּתִֽי׃