KJV ORIGINAL
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
They tear orphaned babies away from their mothers, and they take the poor person's belongings as payment for debts.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse describes how cruel people harm the most vulnerable in society - orphans and the poor - by taking away what little they have.
📚 Historical Context
Job is describing the injustices he sees in the world, where the wicked seem to prosper while innocent people suffer. In ancient times, taking a person's essential belongings (like their cloak or tools) as collateral for a loan was a common but often harsh practice that could leave poor families with nothing. Job is lamenting how the powerful exploit those who have no one to protect them.
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