Job 30
1 “But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I considered unworthy to put with my sheep dogs.
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 Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age has perished?
Yea, whereto [should] the strength of their hands [profit] me, [men] in whom vigour hath perished?
3 They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
Withered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert:
4 They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom tree are their food.
They gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food.
5 They are driven out from amongst men. They cry after them as after a thief,
They are driven forth from among [men] — they cry after them as after a thief —
6 so that they live in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:
7 They bray amongst the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles.
They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:
8 They are children of fools, yes, children of wicked men. They were flogged out of the land.
Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.
9 “Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
And now I am their song, yea, I am their byword.
10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, yea, they spare not to spit in my face.
11 For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.
For he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me; so they cast off the bridle before me.
12 On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet. They cast their ways of destruction up against me.
At [my] right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;
13 They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone’s help.
They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, without any to help them;
14 As through a wide breach they come. They roll themselves in amid the ruin.
They come in as through a wide breach: amid the confusion they roll themselves onward.
15 Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honour as the wind. My welfare has passed 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 soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
And now my soul is poured out in me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
17 In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
The night pierceth through my bones [and detacheth them] from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:
18 My garment is disfigured by great force. It binds me about as 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 cast me into the mire. 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, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.
I cry unto thee, and thou answerest me not; I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
21 You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might 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 drive me with it. You dissolve me in the 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 living.
For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and into the house of assemblage for all living.
24 “However doesn’t one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
Indeed, no prayer [availeth] when he stretcheth out [his] hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.
25 Didn’t I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn’t my soul grieved for the needy?
Did not I weep for him whose days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26 When I looked for good, then evil came. When I waited for light, darkness came.
For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.
27 My heart is troubled, and doesn’t rest. Days of affliction have come on me.
My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.
28 I go mourning without 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, and a companion to ostriches.
I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches.
30 My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burnt with heat.
My skin is become black [and falleth] off me, and my bones are parched with heat.
31 Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
My harp also is [turned] to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.
