Job 30
1 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.
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 Yea, whereto [should] the strength of their hands [profit] me, [men] in whom vigour hath perished?
Of what use to me would be even the strength of their hands, To whom old age is lost?
3 Withered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert:
By want and hunger they are famished; They gnaw the dry desert, The darkness of desolate wastes.
4 They gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food.
They gather purslain among the bushes, And the root of the broom is their bread.
5 They are driven forth from among [men] — they cry after them as after a thief —
They are driven from the society of men; There is a cry after them as after a thief.
6 To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:
They dwell in gloomy valleys, In caves of the earth and in rocks.
7 They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:
They bray among the bushes; Under the brambles are they stretched out.
8 Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.
An impious and low-born race, They are beaten out of the land.
9 And now I am their song, yea, I am their byword.
And now I am become their song; Yea, I am their by-word!
10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, yea, they spare not to spit in my face.
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me; They forbear not to spit before my face.
11 For he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me; so they cast off the bridle before me.
Yea, they let loose the reins, and humble me; They cast off the bridle before me.
12 At [my] right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;
On my right hand riseth up the brood; They thrust away my feet; They cast up against me their destructive ways.
13 They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, without any to help them;
They break up my path; They hasten my fall, —They who have no helper!
14 They come in as through a wide breach: amid the confusion they roll themselves onward.
They come upon me as through a wide breach; Through the ruins they rush in upon me.
15 Terrors are turned against me; they pursue mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away like a cloud.
Terrors are turned against me; They pursue my prosperity like the wind, And my welfare passeth away like a cloud.
16 And now my soul is poured out in me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
And now my soul poureth itself out upon me; Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
17 The night pierceth through my bones [and detacheth them] from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:
By night my bones are pierced; they are torn from me, And my gnawers take no rest.
18 By their great force they have become my raiment; they bind me about as the collar of my coat.
Through the violence of my disease is my garment changed; It bindeth me about like the collar of my tunic.
19 He hath cast me into the mire, and I have 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 answerest me not; I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
I call upon Thee, but thou dost not hear me; I stand up before thee, but thou regardest me not.
21 Thou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.
Thou art become cruel to me; With thy strong hand dost thou lie in wait for me.
22 Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to be borne away, and dissolvest my substance.
Thou liftest me up, and causest me to ride upon the wind; Thou meltest me away in the storm.
23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and into the house of assemblage for all living.
I know that thou wilt bring me to death, To the place of assembly for all the living.
24 Indeed, no prayer [availeth] when he stretcheth out [his] hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.
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 days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy?
Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?
26 For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.
But when I looked for good, then evil came; When I looked for light, then came darkness.
27 My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.
My bowels boil, and have no rest; Days of anguish have come upon me.
28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.
I am black, but not by the sun; I stand up, and utter my cries in the congregation.
29 I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches.
I am become a brother to jackals, And a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin is become black [and falleth] off me, and my bones are parched with heat.
My skin is black, and falleth from me, And my bones burn with heat.
31 My harp also is [turned] to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.
My harp also is turned to mourning, And my pipe to notes of grief.
