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 who are younger than I in years laugh at me, whose fathers I scorned to put as equals with the dogs of my flocks.
2 Yea, the strength of their hands, to what should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age is perished.
Yea, what possible use can the strength of their hands be unto me, over whom old age hath passed fruitlessly?
3 They are gaunt with want and famine. They gnaw the dry ground in the gloom of waste and desolation.
Who suffer for want and famine in solitude; who flee into the wilderness [where all is] darkness, ruin, and desolation;
4 They pluck mallows by the bushes, and the roots of the juniper are their food.
Who crop off mallows by the bushes, and have broom-bush roots as their bread;
5 They are driven forth from the midst of men. They cry out after them as after a thief,
Who are driven forth from among [men], who are shouted after as though they were thieves,
6 so that they dwell in frightful valleys, in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
To dwell in the caverns of the valleys, in holes of the earth, and on naked cliffs.
7 Among the bushes they bray, under the nettles they are gathered together.
Among the bushes they shriek; under briers they are huddled together,
8 They are sons of fools, yea, sons of base men. They were scourged out of the land.
The children of the worthless, yea, the children of the nameless, who were outcasts from the land.
9 And now I have become their song, Yea, I am a byword to them.
But now I am become their song, and I am become a byword unto them.
10 They abhor me. They stand aloof from me, and do not spare to spit in my face.
They loathe me, they keep themselves far from me, and from my face they withhold not their spittle.
11 For he has loosed his cord, and afflicted me. And they have cast off the bridle before me.
Because he hath loosened the cord of my bow, and afflicted me, they have also 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.
Against my right hand rise up this swarm of worthless youths: they push away my feet, and they level against me their calamity-bringing paths.
13 They mar my path. They set forward my calamity, even men who have no helper.
They destroy my footpath, they help forward my downfall, without any one to aid them.
14 As through a wide breach they come. In the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me.
As [through] a broad breach they come: amidst a loud noise they rolled themselves along.
15 Terrors are turned upon me. They chase my honor as the wind, and my welfare is passed away as a cloud.
Terrors have turned their face against me; they chase like the wind my glory: and like a cloud is my happiness passed away.
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 over me; the days of affliction have seized on me;
17 In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
All night it holloweth out my bones out of my body; and my pursuers take no rest.
18 By the great force my garment is disfigured. It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
Through the Almlghty's power is my garment made unknown: like the opening of my coat hath he enclosed me.
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 am 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 aloud unto thee, but thou answerest me not: I stand up, and thou fixest thy regard against me.
21 Thou have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of thy hand thou persecute me.
Thou art changed into a cruel master toward me: with the strength of thy hand thou assailest 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 pass away, and dissolvest in me all wise counsel.
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 back to death, and to the house of assembly for all the living.
24 However does not a man stretch out the hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
But doth not a man stretch out his hand among ruins? or doth one not cry out therefrom [for help] when he meeteth his downfall?
25 Did I not weep for him who was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
Did I not weep for him that was hard pressed by misfortune? 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.
That I hoped for good, but there came evil; and I waited for light, and there came darkness!
27 My heart is troubled, and does not rest. Days of affliction have come upon me.
My bowels heave, and rest not: the days of affliction have overcome me.
28 I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
I walk about mournfully without sunlight: when I rise up, in the assembly, I cry with pain.
29 I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
I am a brother to [howling] monsters, and a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin is black, and falls from me. And my bones are burned with heat.
My skin hangeth down black from me, and my bones are burnt from heat.
31 Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
And thus is changed to mourning my harp, and my pipe to the sound of weeping.
