< Job 30 >

1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
And now, laughed at me, Have the younger in days than I, Whose fathers I have loathed to set With the dogs of my flock.
2 Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?
Also — the power of their hands, why [is it] to me? On them hath old age perished.
3 For lack and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.
With want and with famine gloomy, Those fleeing to a dry place, Formerly a desolation and waste,
4 Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their food.
Those cropping mallows near a shrub, And broom-roots [is] their food.
5 They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief; )
From the midst they are cast out, (They shout against them as a thief),
6 To dwell in the cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.
In a frightful place of valleys to dwell, Holes of earth and clefts.
7 Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.
Among shrubs they do groan, Under nettles they are gathered together.
8 They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
Sons of folly — even sons without name, They have been smitten from the land.
9 And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.
And now, their song I have been, And I am to them for a byword.
10 They detest me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
They have abominated me, They have kept far from me, And from before me have not spared to spit.
11 Because he has loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.
Because His cord He loosed and afflicteth me, And the bridle from before me, They have cast away.
12 Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.
On the right hand doth a brood arise, My feet they have cast away, And they raise up against me, Their paths of calamity.
13 They ruin my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.
They have broken down my path, By my calamity they profit, 'He hath no helper.'
14 They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.
As a wide breach they come, Under the desolation have rolled themselves.
15 Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passes away as a cloud.
He hath turned against me terrors, It pursueth as the wind mine abundance, And as a thick cloud, Hath my safety passed away.
16 And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
And now, in me my soul poureth itself out, Seize me do days of affliction.
17 My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.
At night my bone hath been pierced in me, And mine eyelids do not lie down.
18 By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it binds me about as the collar of my coat.
By the abundance of power, Is my clothing changed, As the mouth of my coat it doth gird me.
19 He has cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.
Casting me into mire, And I am become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry unto you, and you do not hear me: I stand up, and you regard me not.
I cry unto Thee, And Thou dost not answer me, I have stood, and Thou dost consider me.
21 You are become cruel to me: with your strong hand you oppose yourself against me.
Thou art turned to be fierce to me, With the strength of Thy hand, Thou oppressest me.
22 You lift me up to the wind; you cause me to ride upon it, and dissolve my substance.
Thou dost lift me up, On the wind Thou dost cause me to ride, And Thou meltest — Thou levellest me.
23 For I know that you will bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
For I have known To death Thou dost bring me back, And [to] the house appointed for all living.
24 Nevertheless he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.
Surely not against the heap Doth He send forth the hand, Though in its ruin they have safety.
25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?
Did not I weep for him whose day is hard? Grieved hath my soul for the needy.
26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
When good I expected, then cometh evil, And I wait for light, and darkness cometh.
27 My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.
My bowels have boiled, and have not ceased, Gone before me have days of affliction.
28 I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.
Mourning I have gone without the sun, I have risen, in an assembly I cry.
29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
A brother I have been to dragons, And a companion to daughters of the ostrich.
30 My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.
My skin hath been black upon me, And my bone hath burned from heat,
31 My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.
And my harp doth become mourning, And my organ the sound of weeping.

< Job 30 >