1“全能者为何不定下审判的日期？
为何信靠祂的人要空等一场？
2恶人挪移界石，
抢夺羊群去牧养。
3他们牵走孤儿的驴，
强取寡妇的牛作抵押。
4他们把贫民赶离正路，
地上的穷人被迫东躲西藏。
5贫穷的人如荒漠中的野驴，
殷勤觅食，给儿女糊口。
6他们割田间的草料，
摘恶人剩余的葡萄。
7他们整夜赤身露体，
没有被子可以御寒。
8他们被山雨浇透，
只能在岩石下栖身。
9恶人夺去寡母怀中的孤儿，
强取穷人的孩子作抵押，
10使他们赤身露体地流浪，
饿着肚子扛禾捆。
11他们在恶人的橄榄林中榨油，
口干舌燥地在酒池踩踏。
12城中传来垂死之人的呻吟，
受伤者不断呼救，
上帝却置之不理。
13“有人与光明为敌，
不认识光明之道，
也不走光明之路。
14凶手黎明起来，
杀害贫苦的人，
夜晚又去做贼。
15奸夫的眼睛盼着黄昏，
心想，‘没人会看见我’，
并把脸蒙起来。
16盗贼夜间挖墙行窃，
日间躲藏起来，
不想认识光明。
17他们以昼作夜，
熟知黑夜的恐怖。
18“恶人如水上的泡沫。
他们的产业遭咒诅，
他们的葡萄园荒芜。
19阴间吞噬犯罪之人，
如同干热吞噬融雪。
20他们的生母忘记他们，
虫子在他们身上饱餐。
没有人再记得他们，
恶人像树木一样折断。
21他们恶待不育的妇人，
毫不善待寡妇。
22但上帝用大能掳走权贵，
他们再强大也难保性命。
23上帝让他们暂享安逸，
但他们逃不过祂的眼睛。
24他们一时得势，转瞬消逝；
他们沦为卑贱，像其他人一样灭亡，
像麦穗一样被割掉。
25我说的都是实情，谁能否认？
谁能证明我的话是空谈？”
1“Why doesn’t the Mighty One set a time for judging sinful people?
Why do those who know him have to keep waiting for that day?
2People move their neighbor’s boundary stones.
They steal their neighbor’s flocks.
3They take away the donkeys
that belong to children whose fathers have died.
They take a widow’s ox until she has paid what she owes.
4They push those who are needy out of their way.
They force all the poor people in the land to go into hiding.
5The poor are like wild donkeys in the desert.
They have to go around looking for food.
The dry and empty land provides the only food for their children.
6The poor go to the fields and get a little grain.
They gather up what is left in the vineyards of sinners.
7The poor don’t have any clothes. So they spend the night naked.
They don’t have anything to cover themselves in the cold.
8They are soaked by mountain rains.
They hug the rocks because they don’t have anything to keep them warm.
9Children whose fathers have died
are torn away from their mothers.
A poor person’s baby is taken away to pay back what is owed.
10The poor don’t have any clothes. They go around naked.
They carry bundles of grain, but they still go hungry.
11They work very hard as they crush olives.
They stomp on grapes in winepresses,
but they are still thirsty.
12The groans of those who are dying are heard from the city.
Those who are wounded cry out for help.
But God doesn’t charge anyone with doing what is wrong.
13“Some people hate it when daylight comes.
In the daytime they never walk outside.
14When daylight is gone, murderers get up.
They kill poor people and those who are in need.
In the night they sneak around like robbers.
15Those who commit adultery wait until the sun goes down.
They think, ‘No one will see us.’
They keep their faces hidden.
16In the dark, thieves break into houses.
But by day they shut themselves in.
They don’t want anything to do with the light.
17Midnight is like morning to them.
The terrors of darkness are their friends.
18“But sinners are like bubbles on the surface of water.
Their share of the land is under God’s curse.
So no one goes to their vineyards.
19Melted snow disappears when the air is hot and dry.
And sinners disappear when they go down into their graves.
20Even their mothers forget them.
The worms in their graves eat them up.
No one remembers sinful people anymore.
They are cut down like trees.
21They mistreat women who aren’t able to have children.
They aren’t kind to widows.
22But God is powerful.
He even drags away people who are strong.
When he rises up against them,
they can never be sure they are safe.
23God might let them rest and feel secure.
But his eyes see how they live.
24For a little while they are honored.
Then they are gone.
They are brought low.
And they die like everyone else.
They are cut off like heads of grain.
25“Who can prove that what I’m saying is wrong?
Who can prove that my words aren’t true?”
