Job 24

1“¿Por qué el Todopoderoso no fija tiempos (para el juicio)? ¿y por qué los que le conocen no saben el día fijado por Él?

2Hay quienes remueven mojones, roban rebaños y los apacientan;

3se llevan el asno de los huérfanos, toman en prenda el buey de la viuda;

4no dejan pasar a los pobres por el camino, y todos los humildes del país se esconden.

5Mira cómo estos salen a su trabajo como los asnos monteses del desierto, buscando una presa hasta la tarde, sin hallar alimento para sus hijos.

6En el campo cortan el trigo (ajeno), y vendimian la viña del inicuo.

7Pasan la noche desnudos, por falta de ropa, no tienen abrigo contra el frío.

8Mojados con las lluvias de las montañas se acurrucan contra las peñas, porque no tienen donde abrigarse.

9(Y hay opresores que) arrancan al huérfano del pecho, y toman en prenda la ropa de los pobres,

10que andan desnudos sin vestidos, cargan hambrientos con las gavillas;

11exprimen el aceite entre sus muros, y sedientos pisan sus lagares.

12Desde la ciudad se oyen gemidos y clama el alma de los muertos; pero Dios no atiende su oración.

13Y hay quienes aborrecen la luz; no conocen sus caminos, ni quieren atenerse a sus senderos.

14Al alba se levanta el homicida para matar al desvalido y al pobre, y en la oscuridad sale como ladrón.

15Aguarda la noche el ojo del adúltero, diciendo: «No me verá ojo alguno» y se emboza la cara.

16Otros de noche fuerzan las casas, y de día se esconden, pues no quieren ver la luz.

17Para todos ellos el alba es sombra de muerte; más los terrores de la noche les son familiares;

18(huyen) veloces sobre la superficie de las aguas. ¡Maldita su prole sobre la tierra! ¡No ande por el camino de sus viñas!

19Como la sequía y el calor absorben las aguas de la nieve, así (engulle) el scheol al pecador.

20Se olvida de él el seno materno, gusanos le comen como dulce manjar, no quedará memoria de su nombre. Como árbol será deshecha la maldad.

21Porque alimentaba a la estéril, que no tenía hijos, y no hacía bien a la viuda.

22Pero (Dios) con su fuerza derriba a los poderosos; se levanta, y ninguno está seguro de su vida.

23Los deja vivir en seguridad y confianza, pero sus ojos velan sobre los caminos de ellos.

24Se ven ensalzados por un poco, y luego desaparecen, son derribados y cosechados como todos los hombres; son segados como espigas del trigal.

25Si no es así, ¿quién me desmentirá y declarará nula mi palabra?”

1[Ab Omnipotente non sunt abscondita tempora: qui autem noverunt eum, ignorant dies illius.

2Alii terminos transtulerunt; diripuerunt greges, et paverunt eos.

3Asinum pupillorum abegerunt, et abstulerunt pro pignore bovem viduæ.

4Subverterunt pauperum viam, et oppresserunt pariter mansuetos terræ.

5Alii quasi onagri in deserto egrediuntur ad opus suum: vigilantes ad prædam, præparant panem liberis.

6Agrum non suum demetunt, et vineam ejus, quem vi oppresserint, vindemiant.

7Nudos dimittunt homines, indumenta tollentes, quibus non est operimentum in frigore:

8quos imbres montium rigant, et non habentes velamen, amplexantur lapides.

9Vim fecerunt deprædantes pupillos, et vulgum pauperem spoliaverunt.

10Nudis et incedentibus absque vestitu, et esurientibus tulerunt spicas.

11Inter acervos eorum meridiati sunt, qui calcatis torcularibus sitiunt.

12De civitatibus fecerunt viros gemere, et anima vulneratorum clamavit: et Deus inultum abire non patitur.

13Ipsi fuerunt rebelles lumini: nescierunt vias ejus, nec reversi sunt per semitas ejus.

14Mane primo consurgit homicida; interficit egenum et pauperem: per noctem vero erit quasi fur.

15Oculus adulteri observat caliginem, dicens: Non me videbit oculus: et operiet vultum suum.

16Perfodit in tenebris domos, sicut in die condixerant sibi, et ignoraverunt lucem.

17Si subito apparuerit aurora, arbitrantur umbram mortis: et sic in tenebris quasi in luce ambulant.

18Levis est super faciem aquæ: maledicta sit pars ejus in terra, nec ambulet per viam vinearum.

19Ad nimium calorem transeat ab aquis nivium, et usque ad inferos peccatum illius.

20Obliviscatur ejus misericordia; dulcedo illius vermes: non sit in recordatione, sed conteratur quasi lignum infructuosum.

21Pavit enim sterilem quæ non parit, et viduæ bene non fecit.

22Detraxit fortes in fortitudine sua, et cum steterit, non credet vitæ suæ.

23Dedit ei Deus locum pœnitentiæ, et ille abutitur eo in superbiam: oculi autem ejus sunt in viis illius.

24Elevati sunt ad modicum, et non subsistent: et humiliabuntur sicut omnia, et auferentur, et sicut summitates spicarum conterentur.

25Quod si non est ita, quis me potest arguere esse mentitum, et ponere ante Deum verba mea?]

1Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.

2Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.

3They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away the widow’s ox for a pledge.

4They have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.

5Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get bread for their children.

6They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.

7They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:

8Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.

9They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.

10From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.

11They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses suffer thirst.

12Out of the cities they have made men to groan, and the soul of the wounded hath cried out, and God doth not suffer it to pass unrevenged.

13They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his paths.

14The murderer riseth at the very break of day, he killeth the needy, and the poor man: but in the night he will be as a thief.

15The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.

16He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known the light.

17If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.

18He is light upon the face of the water: cursed be his portion on the earth, let him not walk by the way of the vineyards.

19Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat, and his sin even to hell.

20Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful tree.

21For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.

22He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his life.

23God hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his ways.

24They are lifted up for a little while and shall not stand, and shall be brought down as all things, and shall be taken away, and as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be broken.

25And if it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?