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 men who are younger than I am make fun of me— men whose fathers I greatly despised, with the result that I would not even have allowed them to help my dogs guard my sheep.
2 Even the strength of their hands, wherefore was it mine? Upon them, vigour was lost;
They were men who were old and (weak/worn out); so (what could I gain from them working for me?/I would have gained nothing from them working for me.) [RHQ]
3 In want and hunger, they were lean, —who used to gnaw the dry ground, a dark night of desolation!
They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.
4 Who used to pluck off the mallow by the bushes, with the root of the broom for their food;
They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.
5 Out of the midst, were they driven, men shouted after them, as after a thief;
Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].
6 In the fissures, of the ravines had they to dwell, in holes of dust and crags;
They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.
7 Among the bushes, used they to shriek, Under the bramble, were they huddled together:
In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.
8 Sons of the base, yea sons of the nameless, they were scourged out of the land.
They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].
9 But, now, their song, have I become, Yea I serve them for a byword;
“And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.
10 They abhor me—have put themselves far from me, and, from my face, have not withheld—spittle!
They are disgusted with me, and they [usually] stay away from me, [but when they see me, ] they are happy to spit in my face.
11 Because, my girdle, he had loosened and had humbled me, therefore, the bridle—in my presence, cast they off;
Because [it is as though] [MET] God has cut my bowstring, [he has caused me to be unable to defend myself, ] and he has humbled me, and my enemies have done to me whatever they wanted.
12 On my right hand, the young brood rose up, —My feet, they thrust aside, and cast up against me their earthworks of destruction;
(Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.
13 They brake up my path, —My engulfing ruin, they helped forward, unaided;
They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).
14 As through a wide breach, came they on, with a crashing noise, they rolled themselves along.
[It is as though I am a city wall and] [SIM] they have broken through the wall, and they have come crashing down on 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.
I am very terrified; My dignity/honor has been taken away as though [SIM] [it has been] blown away by the wind, and my prosperity has disappeared like [SIM] clouds disappear.
16 Now, therefore, over myself, my soul poureth itself out, There seize me days of affliction:
“And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.
17 Night, boreth, my bones, all over me, —and, my sinews, find no rest;
My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.
18 Most effectually, is my skin disfigured, —Like the collar of my tunic, it girdeth me about:
[It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.
19 He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.
He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] 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 cry out to God, but he does not answer/help me; I stand up [and pray], but he does not pay any attention.
21 Thou art turned to become a cruel one unto me, With the might of thy hand, thou assailest me;
He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.
22 Thou liftest up me to the wind, thou carriest me away, and the storm maketh me faint;
He [allows] the wind to lift me up and blow me away, and he tosses me up and down in a violent 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 he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.
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 people experience disasters, and they sit on a pile of ruins and cry out for help, others surely [RHQ] reach out their hand to help them.
25 Verily I wept, for him whose lot was hard, Grieved was my soul, for the needy.
[That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.
26 Surely, for good, I looked, but there came in evil, And I waited for light, but there came in darkness;
But when I expected good things [to happen to me], evil things happened; when I waited for light/happiness, all I experienced was darkness/unhappiness [MET].
27 I boiled within me, and rested not, There confronted me—days of affliction;
I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.
28 In gloom, I walked along, without sun, I arose—in the convocation, I cried out for help;
I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.
29 A brother, became I to the brutes that howl, and a companion to the birds that screech:
My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.
30 My skin, turned black, and peeled off me, and, my bones, burned with heat:
My skin has become dark/black and is peeling off, and I have a fever [which causes my body to feel like it is] burning.
31 Thus is attuned to mourning—my lyre, and my flute, to the noise of them who weep.
Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”
