Job 30
1 Now those who are younger than I have nothing but mockery for me— these young men whose fathers I would have refused to allow to work beside the dogs of my flock.
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 Indeed, the strength of their fathers' hands, how could it have helped me— men in whom the strength of their mature age had perished?
Yea, what possible use can the strength of their hands be unto me, over whom old age hath passed fruitlessly?
3 They were thin from poverty and hunger; they gnawed at the dry ground in the darkness of wilderness and desolation.
Who suffer for want and famine in solitude; who flee into the wilderness [where all is] darkness, ruin, and desolation;
4 They plucked saltwort and bushes' leaves; the roots of the broom tree were their food.
Who crop off mallows by the bushes, and have broom-bush roots as their bread;
5 They were driven out from among people who shouted after them as one would shout after a thief.
Who are driven forth from among [men], who are shouted after as though they were thieves,
6 So they had to live in river valleys, 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 Among the bushes they brayed like donkeys and they gathered together under the nettles.
Among the bushes they shriek; under briers they are huddled together,
8 They were the sons of fools, indeed, sons of nameless people! They were driven out of the land with whips.
The children of the worthless, yea, the children of the nameless, who were outcasts from the land.
9 But now I have become the subject of their taunting song; I have become a byword for them.
But now I am become their song, and I am become a byword unto them.
10 They abhor me and stand far off from me; they do not refrain from spitting in my face.
They loathe me, they keep themselves far from me, and from my face they withhold not their spittle.
11 For God has unstrung the string to my bow and afflicted me, and those who taunt me cast off restraint before my face.
Because he hath loosened the cord of my bow, and afflicted me, they have also cast off the bridle before me.
12 Upon my right hand rise the rabble; they drive me away and pile up against me their siege mounds.
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 destroy my path; they push forward disaster for me, men who have no one to hold them back.
They destroy my footpath, they help forward my downfall, without any one to aid them.
14 They come against me like an army through a wide hole in a city wall; in the midst of the destruction they roll themselves in on me.
As [through] a broad breach they come: amidst a loud noise they rolled themselves along.
15 Terrors are turned upon me; my honor is driven away as if by the wind; my prosperity passes 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 life is pouring out from within me; many days of suffering have laid hold on me.
And now my soul is poured out over me; the days of affliction have seized on me;
17 In the night my bones in me are pierced; the pains that gnaw at me take no rest.
All night it holloweth out my bones out of my body; and my pursuers take no rest.
18 God's great force has seized my clothing; it wraps around me like 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 thrown me into the mud; 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, God, but you do not answer me; I stand up, and you merely look 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 changed and become cruel to me; with the strength 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 cause it to drive me along; you throw me back and forth in a 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 the 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 no one reach out with his hand to beg for help when he falls? Does no one in trouble call out 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? Did I not grieve for the needy man?
Did I not weep for him that was hard pressed by misfortune? was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26 When I hoped for good, then evil came; when I waited for light, darkness came instead.
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 have gone about like one who was living in the dark, but not because of 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, a companion of ostriches.
I am a brother to [howling] monsters, and a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin is black and falls away 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 is tuned for songs of mourning, my flute for the singing of those who wail.
And thus is changed to mourning my harp, and my pipe to the sound of weeping.
