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, 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.
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]
Even the strength of their hands, wherefore was it mine? Upon them, vigour was lost;
3 They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.
In want and hunger, they were lean, —who used to gnaw the dry ground, a dark night of desolation!
4 They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.
Who used to pluck off the mallow by the bushes, with the root of the broom for their food;
5 Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].
Out of the midst, were they driven, men shouted after them, as after a thief;
6 They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.
In the fissures, of the ravines had they to dwell, in holes of dust and crags;
7 In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.
Among the bushes, used they to shriek, Under the bramble, were they huddled together:
8 They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].
Sons of the base, yea sons of the nameless, they were scourged out of the land.
9 “And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.
But, now, their song, have I become, Yea I serve them for a byword;
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.
They abhor me—have put themselves far from me, and, from my face, have not withheld—spittle!
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.
Because, my girdle, he had loosened and had humbled me, therefore, the bridle—in my presence, cast they off;
12 (Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.
On my right hand, the young brood rose up, —My feet, they thrust aside, and cast up against me their earthworks of destruction;
13 They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).
They brake up my path, —My engulfing ruin, they helped forward, unaided;
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 breach, came they on, with a crashing noise, they rolled themselves along.
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.
There are turned upon me terrors, —Chased away as with a wind, is mine abundance, and, as a cloud, hath passed away my prosperity.
16 “And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.
Now, therefore, over myself, my soul poureth itself out, There seize me days of affliction:
17 My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.
Night, boreth, my bones, all over me, —and, my sinews, find no rest;
18 [It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.
Most effectually, is my skin disfigured, —Like the collar of my tunic, it girdeth me about:
19 He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] dust and ashes.
He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.
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.
I cry out for help unto thee, and thou dost not answer, I stand still, and thou dost gaze at me;
21 He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.
Thou art turned to become a cruel one unto me, With the might of thy hand, thou assailest 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.
Thou liftest up me to the wind, thou carriest me away, and the storm maketh me faint;
23 I know that he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.
For I know that, unto death, thou wilt bring me back, even unto the house of meeting for every one 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.
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.
25 [That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.
Verily I wept, for him whose lot was hard, Grieved was my soul, for the needy.
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].
Surely, for good, I looked, but there came in evil, And I waited for light, but there came in darkness;
27 I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.
I boiled within me, and rested not, There confronted me—days of affliction;
28 I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.
In gloom, I walked along, without sun, I arose—in the convocation, I cried out for help;
29 My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.
A brother, became I to the brutes that howl, and a companion to the birds that screech:
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, turned black, and peeled off me, and, my bones, burned with heat:
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.”
Thus is attuned to mourning—my lyre, and my flute, to the noise of them who weep.
