Job 30

1 “But now men who are younger than I am make fun of me— men whose fathers I greatly despised, with the result that I would not even have allowed them to help my dogs guard my sheep.

But now people much younger than me laugh at me; people whose fathers I would not put to work with my sheepdogs.

2 They were men who were old and (weak/worn out); so (what could I gain from them working for me?/I would have gained nothing from them working for me.) [RHQ]

They are too weak to be any use to me; they're all worn-out.

3 They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.

Thin through hunger and want, they try to eat the dry ground in the dark, desolate wilderness.

4 They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.

There they pick desert herbs and the leaves of bushes, and eat the roots of broom trees.

5 Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].

They were driven out of the community.

6 They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.

People shouted after them as if they were thieves. They have to live in dangerous ravines, in caves and among the rocks.

7 In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.

They shout out like animals among the bushes; they huddle together in the weeds for shelter.

8 They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].

They are foolish, nameless people that have been driven from the land.

9 “And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.

Yet now they mock me in their songs; I have become a joke to them!

10 They are disgusted with me, and they [usually] stay away from me, [but when they see me, ] they are happy to spit in my face.

They despise and shun me; they don't hesitate to spit in my face.

11 Because [it is as though] [MET] God has cut my bowstring, [he has caused me to be unable to defend myself, ] and he has humbled me, and my enemies have done to me whatever they wanted.

God has made my bowstring loose and humbled me.

12 (Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.

The rabble rise up against me, they send me running; like a city under siege they devise ways to destroy me.

13 They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).

They cut off my way of escape; they bring about my downfall and do this without anyone's help.

14 [It is as though I am a city wall and] [SIM] they have broken through the wall, and they have come crashing down on me.

They come in through a wide breach; they rush in as the wall comes tumbling down.

15 I am very terrified; My dignity/honor has been taken away as though [SIM] [it has been] blown away by the wind, and my prosperity has disappeared like [SIM] clouds disappear.

Terrors overcome me; my honor is blown away by the wind; my salvation vanishes like a cloud.

16 “And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.

And now my life is ebbing away; every day despair grips me.

17 My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.

At night my bones are in agony; the pain gnaws at me and never stops.

18 [It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.

God grabs me roughly by my clothes; he pulls me by the collar of my shirt.

19 He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] dust and ashes.

He has thrown me in the mud; he has humbled me like dust and ashes.

20 “I cry out to God, but he does not answer/help me; I stand up [and pray], but he does not pay any attention.

God, I cry to you but you don't answer; I stand before you, but you don't even notice me.

21 He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.

You have turned cruel to me; you use your power to make me suffer.

22 He [allows] the wind to lift me up and blow me away, and he tosses me up and down in a violent storm.

You pick me up and blow me along in the wind; tossing me about in the whirlwind.

23 I know that he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.

I know you're taking me to my death, to the place where all the living go.

24 “When people experience disasters, and they sit on a pile of ruins and cry out for help, others surely [RHQ] reach out their hand to help them.

Who would want to kick a man when he is down, when they cry for help in their time of trouble?

25 [That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.

Didn't I weep for those having hard times? Didn't I grieve at what the poor suffered?

26 But when I expected good things [to happen to me], evil things happened; when I waited for light/happiness, all I experienced was darkness/unhappiness [MET].

But when I looked for good, only evil came, and when I waited for the light, all that came was darkness.

27 I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.

Inside I am in turmoil, it never stops; I face days of despair.

28 I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.

I am so depressed; seeing the sun doesn't help. I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.

29 My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.

I am like a brother to the jackals, a companion to owls.

30 My skin has become dark/black and is peeling off, and I have a fever [which causes my body to feel like it is] burning.

My skin turns black on me; and my bones burn within me.

31 Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”

My lyre only plays sad songs, and my pipe is the voice of those who weep.