Job 30
1 “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.
But now those who are younger than I make sport of me; those whose fathers I would not have put with the dogs of my flocks.
2 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]
Of what use is the strength of their hands to me? all force is gone from them.
3 They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.
They are wasted for need of food, biting the dry earth; their only hope of life is in the waste land.
4 They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.
They are pulling off the salt leaves from the brushwood, and making a meal of roots.
5 Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].
They are sent out from among their townsmen, men are crying after them as thieves
6 They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.
They have to get a resting-place in the hollows of the valleys, in holes of the earth and rocks.
7 In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.
They make noises like asses among the brushwood; they get together under the thorns.
8 They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].
They are sons of shame, and of men without a name, who have been forced out of the land.
9 “And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.
And now I have become their song, and I am a word of shame to them.
10 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.
I am disgusting to them; they keep away from me, and put marks of shame on me.
11 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.
For he has made loose the cord of my bow, and put me to shame; he has sent down my flag to the earth before me.
12 (Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.
The lines of his men of war put themselves in order, and make high their ways of destruction against me:
13 They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).
They have made waste my roads, with a view to my destruction; his bowmen come round about me;
14 [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.
As through a wide broken place in the wall they come on, I am overturned by the shock of their attack.
15 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.
Fears have come on me; my hope is gone like the wind, and my well-being like a cloud.
16 “And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.
But now my soul is turned to water in me, days of trouble overtake me:
17 My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.
The flesh is gone from my bones, and they give me no rest; there is no end to my pains.
18 [It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.
With great force he takes a grip of my clothing, pulling me by the neck of my coat.
19 He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] dust and ashes.
Truly God has made me low, even to the earth, and I have become like dust.
20 “I cry out to God, but he does not answer/help me; I stand up [and pray], but he does not pay any attention.
You give no answer to my cry, and take no note of my prayer.
21 He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.
You have become cruel to me; the strength of your hand is hard on me.
22 He [allows] the wind to lift me up and blow me away, and he tosses me up and down in a violent storm.
Lifting me up, you make me go on the wings of the wind; I am broken up by the storm.
23 I know that he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.
For I am certain that you will send me back to death, and to the meeting-place ordered for all living.
24 “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.
Has not my hand been stretched out in help to the poor? have I not been a saviour to him in his trouble?
25 [That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.
Have I not been weeping for the crushed? and was not my soul sad for him who was in need?
26 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].
For I was looking for good, and evil came; I was waiting for light, and it became dark.
27 I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.
My feelings are strongly moved, and give me no rest; days of trouble have overtaken me.
28 I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.
I go about in dark clothing, uncomforted; I get up in the public place, crying out for help.
29 My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.
I have become a brother to the jackals, and go about in the company of ostriches.
30 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.
My skin is black and dropping off me; and my bones are burning with the heat of my disease.
31 Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”
And my music has been turned to sorrow, and the sound of my pipe into the noise of weeping.
