Job 30
1 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.
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
2 Even the strength of their hands, wherefore was it mine? Upon them, vigour was lost;
Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? men in whom ripe age is perished.
3 In want and hunger, they were lean, —who used to gnaw the dry ground, a dark night of desolation!
They are gaunt with want and famine; they gnaw the dry ground; in the gloom of wasteness and desolation.
4 Who used to pluck off the mallow by the bushes, with the root of the broom for their food;
They pluck salt-wort by the bushes; and the roots of the broom [are] their meat.
5 Out of the midst, were they driven, men shouted after them, as after a thief;
They are driven forth from the midst [of men]; they cry after them as after a thief.
6 In the fissures, of the ravines had they to dwell, in holes of dust and crags;
In the clefts of the valleys must they dwell, in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
7 Among the bushes, used they to shriek, Under the bramble, were they huddled together:
Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they are gathered together.
8 Sons of the base, yea sons of the nameless, they were scourged out of the land.
[They are] children of fools, yea, children of base men; they were scourged out of the land.
9 But, now, their song, have I become, Yea I serve them for a byword;
And now I am become their song, yea, I am a byword unto them.
10 They abhor me—have put themselves far from me, and, from my face, have not withheld—spittle!
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
11 Because, my girdle, he had loosened and had humbled me, therefore, the bridle—in my presence, cast they off;
For he hath loosed his cord, and afflicted me, and they have cast off the bridle before me.
12 On my right hand, the young brood rose up, —My feet, they thrust aside, and cast up against me their earthworks of destruction;
Upon my right hand rise the rabble; they thrust aside my feet, and they cast up against me their ways of destruction.
13 They brake up my path, —My engulfing ruin, they helped forward, unaided;
They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, [even] men that have no helper.
14 As through a wide breach, came they on, with a crashing noise, they rolled themselves along.
As through a wide breach they come: in the midst of the ruin they roll themselves [upon me].
15 There are turned upon me terrors, —Chased away as with a wind, is mine abundance, and, as a cloud, hath passed away my prosperity.
Terrors are turned upon me, they chase mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away as a cloud.
16 Now, therefore, over myself, my soul poureth itself out, There seize me days of affliction:
And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
17 Night, boreth, my bones, all over me, —and, my sinews, find no rest;
In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the [pains] that gnaw me take no rest.
18 Most effectually, is my skin disfigured, —Like the collar of my tunic, it girdeth me about:
By the great force [of my disease] is my garment disfigured: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.
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 out for help unto thee, and thou dost not answer, I stand still, and thou dost gaze at me;
I cry unto thee, and thou dost not answer me: I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
21 Thou art turned to become a cruel one unto me, With the might of thy hand, thou assailest me;
Thou art turned to be cruel to me: with the might of thy hand thou persecutest me.
22 Thou liftest up me to the wind, thou carriest me away, and the storm maketh me faint;
Thou liftest me up to the wind, thou causest me to ride [upon it]; and thou dissolvest me in the storm.
23 For I know that, unto death, thou wilt bring me back, even unto the house of meeting for every one living.
For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
24 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.
Surely against a ruinous heap he will not put forth his hand; though [it be] in his destruction, [one may utter] a cry because of these things.
25 Verily I wept, for him whose lot was hard, Grieved was my soul, for the needy.
Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26 Surely, for good, I looked, but there came in evil, And I waited for light, but there came in darkness;
When I looked for good, then evil came; and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
27 I boiled within me, and rested not, There confronted me—days of affliction;
My bowels boil, and rest not; days of affliction are come upon me.
28 In gloom, I walked along, without sun, I arose—in the convocation, I cried out for help;
I go mourning without the sun: I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
29 A brother, became I to the brutes that howl, and a companion to the birds that screech:
I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin, turned black, and peeled off me, and, my bones, burned with heat:
My skin is black, [and falleth] from me, and my bones are burned with heat.
31 Thus is attuned to mourning—my lyre, and my flute, to the noise of them who weep.
Therefore is my harp [turned] to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of them that weep.
