Job 30
1 Now those who are younger than I have nothing but mockery for me— these young men whose fathers I would have refused to allow to work beside the dogs of my flock.
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
2 Indeed, the strength of their fathers' hands, how could it have helped me— men in whom the strength of their mature age had perished?
Yea, whereto [should] the strength of their hands [profit] me, [men] in whom vigour hath perished?
3 They were thin from poverty and hunger; they gnawed at the dry ground in the darkness of wilderness and desolation.
Withered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert:
4 They plucked saltwort and bushes' leaves; the roots of the broom tree were their food.
They gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food.
5 They were driven out from among people who shouted after them as one would shout after a thief.
They are driven forth from among [men] — they cry after them as after a thief —
6 So they had to live in river valleys, in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:
7 Among the bushes they brayed like donkeys and they gathered together under the nettles.
They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:
8 They were the sons of fools, indeed, sons of nameless people! They were driven out of the land with whips.
Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.
9 But now I have become the subject of their taunting song; I have become a byword for them.
And now I am their song, yea, I am their byword.
10 They abhor me and stand far off from me; they do not refrain from spitting in my face.
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, yea, they spare not to spit in my face.
11 For God has unstrung the string to my bow and afflicted me, and those who taunt me cast off restraint before my face.
For he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me; so they cast off the bridle before me.
12 Upon my right hand rise the rabble; they drive me away and pile up against me their siege mounds.
At [my] right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;
13 They destroy my path; they push forward disaster for me, men who have no one to hold them back.
They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, without any to help them;
14 They come against me like an army through a wide hole in a city wall; in the midst of the destruction they roll themselves in on me.
They come in as through a wide breach: amid the confusion they roll themselves onward.
15 Terrors are turned upon me; my honor is driven away as if by the wind; my prosperity passes away as a cloud.
Terrors are turned against me; they pursue mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away like a cloud.
16 Now my life is pouring out from within me; many days of suffering have laid hold on me.
And now my soul is poured out in me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
17 In the night my bones in me are pierced; the pains that gnaw at me take no rest.
The night pierceth through my bones [and detacheth them] from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:
18 God's great force has seized my clothing; it wraps around me like the collar of my tunic.
By their great force they have become my raiment; they bind me about as the collar of my coat.
19 He has thrown me into the mud; I have become like dust and ashes.
He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry to you, God, but you do not answer me; I stand up, and you merely look at me.
I cry unto thee, and thou answerest me not; I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
21 You have changed and become cruel to me; with the strength of your hand you persecute me.
Thou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.
22 You lift me up to the wind and cause it to drive me along; you throw me back and forth in a storm.
Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to be borne away, and dissolvest my substance.
23 For I know that you will bring me to death, to the house appointed for all the living.
For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and into the house of assemblage for all living.
24 However, does no one reach out with his hand to beg for help when he falls? Does no one in trouble call out for help?
Indeed, no prayer [availeth] when he stretcheth out [his] hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.
25 Did not I weep for him who was in trouble? Did I not grieve for the needy man?
Did not I weep for him whose days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26 When I hoped for good, then evil came; when I waited for light, darkness came instead.
For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.
27 My heart is troubled and does not rest; days of affliction have come on me.
My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.
28 I have gone about like one who was living in the dark, but not because of the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.
I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.
29 I am a brother to jackals, a companion of ostriches.
I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches.
30 My skin is black and falls away from me; my bones are burned with heat.
My skin is become black [and falleth] off me, and my bones are parched with heat.
31 Therefore my harp is tuned for songs of mourning, my flute for the singing of those who wail.
My harp also is [turned] to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.
