Job 24:18–24

“You say, ‘Swift are they on the face of the waters;

their portion is cursed in the land;

no treader turns toward their vineyards.

Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters;

so does Sheol those who have sinned.

The womb forgets them;

the worm finds them sweet;

they are no longer remembered,

so wickedness is broken like a tree.’

“They wrong the barren, childless woman,

and do no good to the widow.

Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power;

they rise up when they despair of life.

He gives them security, and they are supported,

and his eyes are upon their ways.

They 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.

“Yet they are foam on the surface of the water;

their portion of the land is cursed,

so that no one goes to the vineyards.

As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,

so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.

The womb forgets them,

the worm feasts on them;

the wicked are no longer remembered

but are broken like a tree.

They prey on the barren and childless woman,

and to the widow they show no kindness.

But God drags away the mighty by his power;

though they become established, they have no assurance of life.

He may let them rest in a feeling of security,

but his eyes are on their ways.

For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;

they are brought low and gathered up like all others;

they are cut off like heads of grain.

They float on the surface of the water.

Their section of the land is cursed,

so that they never go to their vineyards.

As dry ground and heat snatch away the melted snow,

so Sheol steals those who have sinned.

The womb forgets them;

worms feed on them;

they are remembered no more.

So injustice is broken like a tree.

They prey on the childless woman who is unable to conceive,

and do not deal kindly with the widow.

Yet God drags away the mighty by his power;

when he rises up, they have no assurance of life.

He gives them a sense of security, so they can rely on it,

but his eyes watch over their ways.

They are exalted for a moment, then gone;

they are brought low and shrivel up like everything else.

They wither like heads of grain.

“But they disappear like foam down a river.

Everything they own is cursed,

and they are afraid to enter their own vineyards.

The grave consumes sinners

just as drought and heat consume snow.

Their own mothers will forget them.

Maggots will find them sweet to eat.

No one will remember them.

Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm.

They cheat the woman who has no son to help her.

They refuse to help the needy widow.

“God, in his power, drags away the rich.

They may rise high, but they have no assurance of life.

They may be allowed to live in security,

but God is always watching them.

And though they are great now,

in a moment they will be gone like all others,

cut off like heads of grain.

“He himself is swift on the water’s surface;

their portion is cursed in the land.

No one turns toward the path of their vineyards.

Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters,

like Sheol snatches away those who have sinned.

The womb forgets him.

The maggot feasts on him until he is no longer remembered,

and wickedness is broken like a tree.

He feeds on the barren, who does not have a child,

and does no good to the widow.

Yet he carries off the tyrants by his strength;

if he rises up, then he cannot be certain of life.

He gives security to him, and he is supported,

but his eyes are upon their ways.

They are exalted a little while, then they are gone.

And they are brought low; they are cut off like all others,

and like the heads of grain they wither away.

He is swift as the waters;

Their portion is cursed in the earth:

He beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

Drought and heat consume the snow waters:

So doth the grave those which have sinned.

The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him;

He shall be no more remembered;

And wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not:

And doeth not good to the widow.

He draweth also the mighty with his power:

He riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth;

Yet his eyes are upon their ways.

They are exalted for a little while, but are gone

And brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other,

And cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.