Job 30
1 But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
2 Yea, the strength of their hands, to what should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age is perished.
Yea, whereto [should] the strength of their hands [profit] me, [men] in whom vigour hath perished?
3 They are gaunt with want and famine. They gnaw the dry ground in the gloom of waste and desolation.
Withered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert:
4 They pluck mallows by the bushes, and the roots of the juniper are their food.
They gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food.
5 They are driven forth from the midst of men. They cry out after them as after a thief,
They are driven forth from among [men] — they cry after them as after a thief —
6 so that they dwell in frightful valleys, in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:
7 Among the bushes they bray, under the nettles they are gathered together.
They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:
8 They are sons of fools, yea, sons of base men. They were scourged out of the land.
Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.
9 And now I have become their song, Yea, I am a byword to them.
And now I am their song, yea, I am their byword.
10 They abhor me. They stand aloof from me, and do not spare to spit in my face.
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, yea, they spare not to spit in my face.
11 For he has loosed his cord, and afflicted me. And they have cast off the bridle before me.
For he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me; so they cast off the bridle before me.
12 Upon my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet, and they cast up against me their ways of destruction.
At [my] right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;
13 They mar my path. They set forward my calamity, even men who have no helper.
They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, without any to help them;
14 As through a wide breach they come. In the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me.
They come in as through a wide breach: amid the confusion they roll themselves onward.
15 Terrors are turned upon me. They chase my honor as the wind, and my welfare is passed away as a cloud.
Terrors are turned against me; they pursue mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away like a cloud.
16 And now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
And now my soul is poured out in me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
17 In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
The night pierceth through my bones [and detacheth them] from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:
18 By the great force my garment is disfigured. It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
By their great force they have become my raiment; they bind me about as the collar of my coat.
19 He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.
He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry to thee, and thou do not answer me. I stand up, and thou gaze at me.
I cry unto thee, and thou answerest me not; I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
21 Thou have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of thy hand thou persecute me.
Thou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.
22 Thou lift me up to the wind. Thou cause me to ride upon it, and thou disintegrate me in the storm.
Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to be borne away, and dissolvest my substance.
23 For I know that thou will bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and into the house of assemblage for all living.
24 However does not a man stretch out the hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
Indeed, no prayer [availeth] when he stretcheth out [his] hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.
25 Did I not weep for him who was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
Did not I weep for him whose days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26 When I looked for good, then evil came. And when I waited for light, there came darkness.
For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.
27 My heart is troubled, and does not rest. Days of affliction have come upon me.
My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.
28 I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.
29 I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches.
30 My skin is black, and falls from me. And my bones are burned with heat.
My skin is become black [and falleth] off me, and my bones are parched with heat.
31 Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
My harp also is [turned] to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.
