Job, Chapter 24

Why are the punishments by God decreed
To wicked men, and their rebellious Seed,
Since times to come are present in his sight,
Conceal'd from those who in his Lawes delight?
Some slily markes remove from bordering Lands;
Feed on the Flocks they purchase, with strange hands:
The Orphants only Asse they drive away;
And make the Widowes morgag'd Oxe their prey:
Who force the frighted poore to turne aside;
Whom milder Rocks in their darke Cavernes hide.
Like Asses in the Desert, they their Toile
With Day renew; and rise betimes for Spoile.
The barren Wildernesse presents them food
To feed themselves, and their adulterate brood.
Their Sicklers reape the Corne another sowes:
They drinke the Blood which from stolne clusters flowes.
The poore, by them disrobed, naked Lie:
Veild with no other covering but the skie.
Expos'd to stiffning frosts, and drenching showers,
Which thickned Aire from her blacke bosome powres:
To Torrents which from cloudy Mountaines spring;
And to the hanging Cliffs for shelter cling.
They from their mothers Breasts poore Orphants rend;
Nor without gages to the needy lend.
For want of clothes they force them starve with cold:
From hungry Reapers they their sheaves withhold.
Those faint for thirst who in their vintage toyle;
And from the juicie Olive presse pure oyle.
Oppressed Cities grone; the wounded cry
To Heaven for Vengeance: yet in peace they die.
Others, that truth oppose; despise the way
Of her prescriptions, and in Darknesse stray:
Sterne Murtherers, that rise before the light
To kill the Innocent; and rob at night:
Vncleane Adulterers, whose longing Eyes
Waite for the twy-light; enter in disguise,
And say, who sees us? Theeves who daily marke
Those Houses which they plunder in the Darke:
These Strangers are to light; the Morning Rayes
By them are hated as their last of Dayes:
The Agonies of Death are on them, when
They are but knowne, or spoken of by Men:
And yet they perish by Jehova's Curse;
And faile like roaring floods that have no Sourse.
Vnlike the generous Vine, which cut, abounds
With budding Jems; and prospers in her wounds.
As scorching heat the mountaine snow devours;
As thirsty Earth drinks up the falling Showres:
Even so the Graves insatiable Jawes
Those Rebels swallow, who infringe his Lawes.
The Wombs that bare, their Burthens shall forget:
And greedy wormes their flesh with pleasure eate.
No tongue or Pen shall mention their Renowne:
But lye like trees by sodaine Stormes cast downe.
The barren they more miserable make:
And from the Widow all her Comfort take.
The Mighty fall in their seditious strife:
When once they rise, who can secure his life?
Though they be resolute and confident:
Yet are Jehova's eyes upon them bent.
But oh, how short their glory! rais'd to fall:
Lost in the Ashes of their funerall.
For they as others die: like Eares of Corne
By lightning blasted; or with sickles shorne.
Who doubts these contraries? who will dispute
Against me? and my Instances confute?