¹ Wherefore, since from the Almighty times are not hid, have, his knowing ones, no vision of his days?

² Boundaries, men move back, flocks, they seize and consume;

³ The ass of the fatherless, they drive off, they take in pledge the ox of the widow;

⁴ They turn aside the needy out of the way, at once, are the humbled of the land made to hide themselves.

⁵ Lo! [as] wild asses in the wilderness, they go forth with their work, eager seekers for prey, the waste plain, yieldeth them food for their young;

⁶ In the field—a man’s fodder, they cut down, and, the vineyard of the lawless, they strip of its late berries;

⁷ Ill-clad, they are left to lodge without clothing, and have no covering in the cold;

⁸ With the sweeping rain of the mountains, are they wet, and, through having no shelter, they embrace a rock.

⁹ Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;

¹⁰ Naked, they go about without clothing, and, famished, they carry the sheaves;

¹¹ Between their walls, are they exposed to the sun, Wine-presses, they tread, and yet are thirsty;

¹² Out of the city—out of the houses, they make outcry. and, the soul of the wounded, calleth for help, and, GOD, doth not regard it as foolish.

¹³ They, have become rebels against the light,—they are not acquainted with the ways thereof, neither abide they in the paths thereof.

¹⁴ With the light, riseth the murderer, He slayeth the poor and needy, And, in the night, he becometh like a thief.

¹⁵ And, the eye of the adulterer, watcheth for the evening twilight, saying, Not an eye will see me! A covering for the face, he putteth on;

¹⁶ He breaketh, in the dark, into houses,—By day, they lock themselves in, They know not the light;

¹⁷ For, in the case of all such, morning to them is the death-shade, For, to be recognised, is a death-shade terror.

¹⁸ Swift is he on the face of the waters, Speedily vanished their share in the land, He turneth not to the way of the vineyards.

¹⁹ Drought and heat, steal away snow water, Hades, them who have sinned.

²⁰ Maternal love shall forget him, the worm shall find him sweet, No more shall he be remembered, but perversity shall be shivered like a tree.

²¹ He oppresseth the barren who beareth not, and, to the widow, he doeth not good;

²² Yea he draggeth along the mighty by his strength, He riseth up, and none hath assurance of life;

²³ It is given him to be secure, and confident, yet, his eyes, are upon their ways.

²⁴ They are exalted a little, and are not, Yea having been laid low, like all men, are they gathered, Even as the top of an ear of corn, do they hang down.

²⁵ But, if not, who then can convict me of falsehood? or make of no account my words?