Job 30
1 And now, laughed at me, Have the younger in days than I, Whose fathers I have loathed 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 Also — the power of their hands, why [is it] to me? On them hath old age perished.
Of what use to me would be even the strength of their hands, To whom old age is lost?
3 With want and with famine gloomy, Those fleeing to a dry place, Formerly a desolation and waste,
By want and hunger they are famished; They gnaw the dry desert, The darkness of desolate wastes.
4 Those cropping mallows near a shrub, And broom-roots [is] their food.
They gather purslain among the bushes, And the root of the broom is their bread.
5 From the midst they are cast out, (They shout against them as a thief),
They are driven from the society of men; There is a cry after them as after a thief.
6 In a frightful place of valleys to dwell, Holes of earth and clefts.
They dwell in gloomy valleys, In caves of the earth and in rocks.
7 Among shrubs they do groan, Under nettles they are gathered together.
They bray among the bushes; Under the brambles are they stretched out.
8 Sons of folly — even sons without name, They have been smitten from the land.
An impious and low-born race, They are beaten out of the land.
9 And now, their song I have been, And I am to them for a byword.
And now I am become their song; Yea, I am their by-word!
10 They have abominated me, They have kept far from me, And from before me have not spared to spit.
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me; They forbear not to spit before my face.
11 Because His cord He loosed and afflicteth me, And the bridle from before me, They have cast away.
Yea, they let loose the reins, and humble me; They cast off the bridle before me.
12 On the right hand doth a brood arise, My feet they have cast away, And they raise up against me, Their paths of calamity.
On my right hand riseth up the brood; They thrust away my feet; They cast up against me their destructive ways.
13 They have broken down my path, By my calamity they profit, 'He hath no helper.'
They break up my path; They hasten my fall, —They who have no helper!
14 As a wide breach they come, Under the desolation have rolled themselves.
They come upon me as through a wide breach; Through the ruins they rush in upon me.
15 He hath turned against me terrors, It pursueth as the wind mine abundance, And as a thick cloud, Hath my safety passed away.
Terrors are turned against me; They pursue my prosperity like the wind, And my welfare passeth away like a cloud.
16 And now, in me my soul poureth itself out, Seize me do days of affliction.
And now my soul poureth itself out upon me; Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
17 At night my bone hath been pierced in me, And mine eyelids do not lie down.
By night my bones are pierced; they are torn from me, And my gnawers take no rest.
18 By the abundance of power, Is my clothing changed, As the mouth of my coat it doth gird me.
Through the violence of my disease is my garment changed; It bindeth me about like the collar of my tunic.
19 Casting me into mire, And I am become like dust and ashes.
He hath cast me into the mire, And I am become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry unto Thee, And Thou dost not answer me, I have stood, and Thou dost consider 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 be fierce to me, With the strength of Thy hand, Thou oppressest me.
Thou art become cruel to me; With thy strong hand dost thou lie in wait for me.
22 Thou dost lift me up, On the wind Thou dost cause me to ride, And Thou meltest — Thou levellest me.
Thou liftest me up, and causest me to ride upon the wind; Thou meltest me away in the storm.
23 For I have known To death Thou dost bring me back, And [to] the house appointed for all living.
I know that thou wilt bring me to death, To the place of assembly for all the living.
24 Surely not against the heap Doth He send forth the hand, Though in its ruin they have safety.
When He stretcheth out his hand, prayer availeth nothing; When He bringeth destruction, vain is the cry for help.
25 Did not I weep for him whose day is hard? Grieved hath my soul for the needy.
Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?
26 When good I expected, then cometh evil, And I wait for light, and darkness cometh.
But when I looked for good, then evil came; When I looked for light, then came darkness.
27 My bowels have boiled, and have not ceased, Gone before me have days of affliction.
My bowels boil, and have no rest; Days of anguish have come upon me.
28 Mourning I have gone without the sun, I have risen, in an assembly I cry.
I am black, but not by the sun; I stand up, and utter my cries in the congregation.
29 A brother I have been to dragons, And a companion to daughters of the ostrich.
I am become a brother to jackals, And a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin hath been black upon me, And my bone hath burned from heat,
My skin is black, and falleth from me, And my bones burn with heat.
31 And my harp doth become mourning, And my organ the sound of weeping.
My harp also is turned to mourning, And my pipe to notes of grief.
