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 who are younger than I in years laugh at me, whose fathers I scorned to put as equals with the dogs of my flocks.
2 Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age has perished?
Yea, what possible use can the strength of their hands be unto me, over whom old age hath passed fruitlessly?
3 They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
Who suffer for want and famine in solitude; who flee into the wilderness [where all is] darkness, ruin, and desolation;
4 They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom tree are their food.
Who crop off mallows by the bushes, and have broom-bush roots as their bread;
5 They are driven out from among men. They cry after them as after a thief,
Who are driven forth from among [men], who are shouted after as though they were thieves,
6 so that they live in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
To dwell in the caverns of the valleys, in holes of the earth, and on naked cliffs.
7 They bray among the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles.
Among the bushes they shriek; under briers they are huddled together,
8 They are children of fools, yes, children of wicked men. They were flogged out of the land.
The children of the worthless, yea, the children of the nameless, who were outcasts from the land.
9 “Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
But now I am become their song, and I am become a byword unto them.
10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and do not hesitate to spit in my face.
They loathe me, they keep themselves far from me, and from my face they withhold not their spittle.
11 For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.
Because he hath loosened the cord of my bow, and afflicted me, they have also 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.
Against my right hand rise up this swarm of worthless youths: they push away my feet, and they level against me their calamity-bringing paths.
13 They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone’s help.
They destroy my footpath, they help forward my downfall, without any one to aid them.
14 As through a wide breach they come. They roll themselves in amid the ruin.
As [through] a broad breach they come: amidst a loud noise they rolled themselves along.
15 Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.
Terrors have turned their face against me; they chase like the wind my glory: and like a cloud is my happiness passed away.
16 “Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
And now my soul is poured out over me; the days of affliction have seized on me;
17 In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
All night it holloweth out my bones out of my body; and my pursuers take no rest.
18 My garment is disfigured by great force. It binds me about as the collar of my tunic.
Through the Almlghty's power is my garment made unknown: like the opening of my coat hath he enclosed me.
19 He has cast me into the mire. 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 to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.
I cry aloud unto thee, but thou answerest me not: I stand up, and thou fixest thy regard against me.
21 You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.
Thou art changed into a cruel master toward me: with the strength of thy hand thou assailest 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 pass away, and dissolvest in me all wise counsel.
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 back to death, and to the house of assembly for all the living.
24 “However does not one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
But doth not a man stretch out his hand among ruins? or doth one not cry out therefrom [for help] when he meeteth his downfall?
25 Did not I weep for him who was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
Did I not weep for him that was hard pressed by misfortune? was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26 When I looked for good, then evil came. When I waited for light, darkness came.
That I hoped for good, but there came evil; and I waited for light, and there came darkness!
27 My heart is troubled, and does not rest. Days of affliction have come on me.
My bowels heave, and rest not: the days of affliction have overcome me.
28 I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
I walk about mournfully without sunlight: when I rise up, in the assembly, I cry with pain.
29 I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
I am a brother to [howling] monsters, and a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.
My skin hangeth down black from me, and my bones are burnt from heat.
31 Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
And thus is changed to mourning my harp, and my pipe to the sound of weeping.
