Job 30
1 But now, those younger in years scorn me, whose fathers I would not have seen fit to place with the dogs of my flock,
But now the younger in time scorn me, whose fathers I would not have set with the dogs of my flock:
2 the strength of whose hands was nothing to me, and they were considered unworthy of life itself.
The strength of whose hands was to me as nothing, and they were thought unworthy of life itself.
3 They were barren from poverty and hunger; they gnawed in solitude, layered with misfortune and misery.
Barren with want and hunger, who gnawed in the wilderness, disfigured with calamity and misery.
4 And they chewed grass and the bark from trees, and the root of junipers was their food.
And they ate grass, and barks of trees, and the root of junipers was their food.
5 They took these things from the steep valleys, and when they discovered one of these things, they rushed to the others with a cry.
Who snatched up these things out of the valleys, and when they had found any of them, they ran to them with a cry.
6 They lived in the parched desert and in caves underground or above the rocks.
They dwelt in the desert places of torrents, and in caves of earth, or upon the gravel.
7 They rejoiced among these kinds of things, and they considered it delightful to be under thorns.
They pleased themselves among these kind of things, and counted it delightful to be under the briers.
8 These are the sons of foolish and base men, not even paying any attention to the land.
The children of foolish and base men, and not appearing at all upon the earth.
9 Now I become their song, and I have been made into their proverb.
Now I am turned into their song, and am become their byword.
10 They loathe me, and so they flee far from me, and they are not reluctant to spit in my face.
They abhor me, and flee far from me, and are not afraid to spit in my face.
11 For he has opened his quiver and has afflicted me, and he has placed a bridle in my mouth.
For he hath opened his quiver, and hath afflicted me, and hath put a bridle into my mouth.
12 Immediately, upon rising, my calamities rise up to the right. They have overturned my feet and have pressed me down along their way like waves.
At the right hand of my rising, my calamities forthwith arose: they have overthrown my feet, and have overwhelmed me with their paths as with waves.
13 They have diverted my journeys; they have waited to ambush me, and they have prevailed, and there was no one who might bring help.
They have destroyed my ways, they have lain in wait against me, and they have prevailed, and there was none to help.
14 They have rushed upon me, as when a wall is broken or a gate opened, and they have been pulled down into my miseries.
They have rushed in upon me, as when a wall is broken, and a gate opened, and have rolled themselves down to my miseries.
15 I have been reduced to nothing. You have taken away my desire like a wind, and my health has passed by like a cloud.
I am brought to nothing: as a wind thou hast taken away my desire: and my prosperity hath passed away like a cloud.
16 But now my soul withers within myself, and the days of affliction take hold of me.
And now my soul fadeth within myself, and the days of affliction possess me.
17 At night, my bone is pierced with sorrows, and those who feed on me, do not sleep.
In the night my bone is pierced with sorrows: and they that feed upon me, do not sleep.
18 By the sheer number of them my clothing is worn away, and they have closed in on me like the collar of my coat.
With the multitude of them my garment is consumed, and they have girded me about, as with the collar of my coat.
19 I have been treated like dirt, and I have been turned into embers and ashes.
I am compared to dirt, and am likened to embers and ashes.
20 I cry to you, and you do not heed me. I stand up, and you do not look back at me.
I cry to thee, and thou hearest me not: I stand up, and thou dost not regard me.
21 You have changed me into hardness, and, with the hardness of your hand, you oppose me.
Thou art changed to be cruel toward me, and in the hardness of thy hand thou art against me.
22 You have lifted me up, and, placing me as if on the wind, you have thrown me down powerfully.
Thou hast lifted me up, and set me as it were upon the wind, and thou hast mightily dashed me.
23 I know that you will hand me over to death, where a home has been established for all the living.
I know that thou wilt deliver me to death, where a house is appointed for every one that liveth.
24 Truly, then, you do not extend your hand in order to consume them, and if they fall down, you will save them.
But yet thou stretchest not forth thy hand to their consumption: and if they shall fall down thou wilt save.
25 Once, I wept over him who was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.
I wept heretofore for him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.
26 I expected good things, but evil things have come to me. I stood ready for light, yet darkness burst forth.
I expected good things, and evils are come upon me: I waited for light, and darkness broke out.
27 My insides have seethed, without any rest, for the days of affliction have prevented it.
My inner parts have boiled without any rest, the days of affliction have prevented me.
28 I went forth mourning, without anger, and rising up, I cried out in confusion.
I went mourning without indignation; I rose up, and cried in the crowd.
29 I was the brother of snakes, and the companion of ostriches.
I was the brother of dragons, and companion of ostriches.
30 My skin has become blackened over me, and my bones have dried up because of the heat.
My skin is become black upon me, and my bones are dried up with heat.
31 My harp has been turned into mourning, and my pipes have been turned into a voice of weeping.
My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.
