Job 30
1 But, now, they who are of fewer days than I, have poured derision upon me; whose fathers I refused—to set with the dogs of my flock.
But now they that are younger than I hold me in derision, Whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
2 Even the strength of their hands, wherefore was it mine? Upon them, vigour was lost;
Of what use to me would be even the strength of their hands, To whom old age is lost?
3 In want and hunger, they were lean, —who used to gnaw the dry ground, a dark night of desolation!
By want and hunger they are famished; They gnaw the dry desert, The darkness of desolate wastes.
4 Who used to pluck off the mallow by the bushes, with the root of the broom for their food;
They gather purslain among the bushes, And the root of the broom is their bread.
5 Out of the midst, were they driven, men shouted after them, as after a thief;
They are driven from the society of men; There is a cry after them as after a thief.
6 In the fissures, of the ravines had they to dwell, in holes of dust and crags;
They dwell in gloomy valleys, In caves of the earth and in rocks.
7 Among the bushes, used they to shriek, Under the bramble, were they huddled together:
They bray among the bushes; Under the brambles are they stretched out.
8 Sons of the base, yea sons of the nameless, they were scourged out of the land.
An impious and low-born race, They are beaten out of the land.
9 But, now, their song, have I become, Yea I serve them for a byword;
And now I am become their song; Yea, I am their by-word!
10 They abhor me—have put themselves far from me, and, from my face, have not withheld—spittle!
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me; They forbear not to spit before my face.
11 Because, my girdle, he had loosened and had humbled me, therefore, the bridle—in my presence, cast they off;
Yea, they let loose the reins, and humble me; They cast off the bridle before me.
12 On my right hand, the young brood rose up, —My feet, they thrust aside, and cast up against me their earthworks of destruction;
On my right hand riseth up the brood; They thrust away my feet; They cast up against me their destructive ways.
13 They brake up my path, —My engulfing ruin, they helped forward, unaided;
They break up my path; They hasten my fall, —They who have no helper!
14 As through a wide breach, came they on, with a crashing noise, they rolled themselves along.
They come upon me as through a wide breach; Through the ruins they rush in upon me.
15 There are turned upon me terrors, —Chased away as with a wind, is mine abundance, and, as a cloud, hath passed away my prosperity.
Terrors are turned against me; They pursue my prosperity like the wind, And my welfare passeth away like a cloud.
16 Now, therefore, over myself, my soul poureth itself out, There seize me days of affliction:
And now my soul poureth itself out upon me; Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
17 Night, boreth, my bones, all over me, —and, my sinews, find no rest;
By night my bones are pierced; they are torn from me, And my gnawers take no rest.
18 Most effectually, is my skin disfigured, —Like the collar of my tunic, it girdeth me about:
Through the violence of my disease is my garment changed; It bindeth me about like the collar of my tunic.
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 out for help unto thee, and thou dost not answer, I stand still, and thou dost gaze at me;
I call upon Thee, but thou dost not hear me; I stand up before thee, but thou regardest me not.
21 Thou art turned to become a cruel one unto me, With the might of thy hand, thou assailest me;
Thou art become cruel to me; With thy strong hand dost thou lie in wait for me.
22 Thou liftest up me to the wind, thou carriest me away, and the storm maketh me faint;
Thou liftest me up, and causest me to ride upon the wind; Thou meltest me away in the storm.
23 For I know that, unto death, thou wilt bring me back, even unto the house of meeting for every one living.
I know that thou wilt bring me to death, To the place of assembly for all the living.
24 Only, against a heap of ruins, will one not thrust a hand! Surely, when one is in calamity—for that very reason, is there an outcry for help.
When He stretcheth out his hand, prayer availeth nothing; When He bringeth destruction, vain is the cry for help.
25 Verily I wept, for him whose lot was hard, Grieved was my soul, for the needy.
Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?
26 Surely, for good, I looked, but there came in evil, And I waited for light, but there came in darkness;
But when I looked for good, then evil came; When I looked for light, then came darkness.
27 I boiled within me, and rested not, There confronted me—days of affliction;
My bowels boil, and have no rest; Days of anguish have come upon me.
28 In gloom, I walked along, without sun, I arose—in the convocation, I cried out for help;
I am black, but not by the sun; I stand up, and utter my cries in the congregation.
29 A brother, became I to the brutes that howl, and a companion to the birds that screech:
I am become a brother to jackals, And a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin, turned black, and peeled off me, and, my bones, burned with heat:
My skin is black, and falleth from me, And my bones burn with heat.
31 Thus is attuned to mourning—my lyre, and my flute, to the noise of them who weep.
My harp also is turned to mourning, And my pipe to notes of grief.
