Job 30
1 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.
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, whereto [should] the strength of their hands [profit] me, [men] in whom vigour hath perished?
Yea, what possible use can the strength of their hands be unto me, over whom old age hath passed fruitlessly?
3 Withered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert:
Who suffer for want and famine in solitude; who flee into the wilderness [where all is] darkness, ruin, and desolation;
4 They gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food.
Who crop off mallows by the bushes, and have broom-bush roots as their bread;
5 They are driven forth from among [men] — they cry after them as after a thief —
Who are driven forth from among [men], who are shouted after as though they were thieves,
6 To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:
To dwell in the caverns of the valleys, in holes of the earth, and on naked cliffs.
7 They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:
Among the bushes they shriek; under briers they are huddled together,
8 Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven 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 am their song, yea, I am their byword.
But now I am become their song, and I am become a byword unto them.
10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, yea, they spare not 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 hath loosed my cord and afflicted me; so they 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 At [my] right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;
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, without any to help them;
They destroy my footpath, they help forward my downfall, without any one to aid them.
14 They come in as through a wide breach: amid the confusion they roll themselves onward.
As [through] a broad breach they come: amidst a loud noise they rolled themselves along.
15 Terrors are turned against me; they pursue mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away like 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 in 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 The night pierceth through my bones [and detacheth them] from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:
All night it holloweth out my bones out of my body; and my pursuers take no rest.
18 By their great force they have become my raiment; they bind 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 hath 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 unto thee, and thou answerest me not; I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
I cry aloud unto thee, but thou answerest me not: I stand up, and thou fixest thy regard against me.
21 Thou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.
Thou art changed into a cruel master toward me: with the strength of thy hand thou assailest me.
22 Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to be borne away, and dissolvest my substance.
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 wilt bring me to death, and into the house of assemblage 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 Indeed, no prayer [availeth] when he stretcheth out [his] hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.
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 not I weep for him whose days were hard? 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 For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.
That I hoped for good, but there came evil; and I waited for light, and there came darkness!
27 My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.
My bowels heave, and rest not: the days of affliction have overcome me.
28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.
I walk about mournfully without sunlight: when I rise up, in the assembly, I cry with pain.
29 I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches.
I am a brother to [howling] monsters, and a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin is become black [and falleth] off me, and my bones are parched with heat.
My skin hangeth down black from me, and my bones are burnt from heat.
31 My harp also is [turned] to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.
And thus is changed to mourning my harp, and my pipe to the sound of weeping.
