Job 30

¹But now, those younger in years scorn me, whose fathers I would not have seen fit to place with the dogs of my flock,

²the strength of whose hands was nothing to me, and they were considered unworthy of life itself.

³They were barren from poverty and hunger; they gnawed in solitude, layered with misfortune and misery.

⁴And they chewed grass and the bark from trees, and the root of junipers was their food.

⁵They took these things from the steep valleys, and when they discovered one of these things, they rushed to the others with a cry.

⁶They lived in the parched desert and in caves underground or above the rocks.

⁷They rejoiced among these kinds of things, and they considered it delightful to be under thorns.

⁸These are the sons of foolish and base men, not even paying any attention to the land.

⁹Now I become their song, and I have been made into their proverb.

¹⁰They loathe me, and so they flee far from me, and they are not reluctant to spit in my face.

¹¹For he has opened his quiver and has afflicted me, and he has placed a bridle in my mouth.

¹²Immediately, upon rising, my calamities rise up to the right. They have overturned my feet and have pressed me down along their way like waves.

¹³They have diverted my journeys; they have waited to ambush me, and they have prevailed, and there was no one who might bring help.

¹⁴They have rushed upon me, as when a wall is broken or a gate opened, and they have been pulled down into my miseries.

¹⁵I have been reduced to nothing. You have taken away my desire like a wind, and my health has passed by like a cloud.

¹⁶But now my soul withers within myself, and the days of affliction take hold of me.

¹⁷At night, my bone is pierced with sorrows, and those who feed on me, do not sleep.

¹⁸By the sheer number of them my clothing is worn away, and they have closed in on me like the collar of my coat.

¹⁹I have been treated like dirt, and I have been turned into embers and ashes.

²⁰I cry to you, and you do not heed me. I stand up, and you do not look back at me.

²¹You have changed me into hardness, and, with the hardness of your hand, you oppose me.

²²You have lifted me up, and, placing me as if on the wind, you have thrown me down powerfully.

²³I know that you will hand me over to death, where a home has been established for all the living.

²⁴Truly, then, you do not extend your hand in order to consume them, and if they fall down, you will save them.

²⁵Once, I wept over him who was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.

²⁶I expected good things, but evil things have come to me. I stood ready for light, yet darkness burst forth.

²⁷My insides have seethed, without any rest, for the days of affliction have prevented it.

²⁸I went forth mourning, without anger, and rising up, I cried out in confusion.

²⁹I was the brother of snakes, and the companion of ostriches.

³⁰My skin has become blackened over me, and my bones have dried up because of the heat.

³¹My harp has been turned into mourning, and my pipes have been turned into a voice of weeping.

Job 30

¹But now the younger in time scorn me, whose fathers I would not have set with the dogs of my flock:

²The strength of whose hands was to me as nothing, and they were thought unworthy of life itself.

³Barren with want and hunger, who gnawed in the wilderness, disfigured with calamity and misery.

⁴And they ate grass, and barks of trees, and the root of junipers was their food.

⁵Who snatched up these things out of the valleys, and when they had found any of them, they ran to them with a cry.

⁶They dwelt in the desert places of torrents, and in caves of earth, or upon the gravel.

⁷They pleased themselves among these kind of things, and counted it delightful to be under the briers.

⁸The children of foolish and base men, and not appearing at all upon the earth.

⁹Now I am turned into their song, and am become their byword.

¹⁰They abhor me, and flee far from me, and are not afraid to spit in my face.

¹¹For he hath opened his quiver, and hath afflicted me, and hath put a bridle into my mouth.

¹²At the right hand of my rising, my calamities forthwith arose: they have overthrown my feet, and have overwhelmed me with their paths as with waves.

¹³They have destroyed my ways, they have lain in wait against me, and they have prevailed, and there was none to help.

¹⁴They have rushed in upon me, as when a wall is broken, and a gate opened, and have rolled themselves down to my miseries.

¹⁵I am brought to nothing: as a wind thou hast taken away my desire: and my prosperity hath passed away like a cloud.

¹⁶And now my soul fadeth within myself, and the days of affliction possess me.

¹⁷In the night my bone is pierced with sorrows: and they that feed upon me, do not sleep.

¹⁸With the multitude of them my garment is consumed, and they have girded me about, as with the collar of my coat.

¹⁹I am compared to dirt, and am likened to embers and ashes.

²⁰I cry to thee, and thou hearest me not: I stand up, and thou dost not regard me.

²¹Thou art changed to be cruel toward me, and in the hardness of thy hand thou art against me.

²²Thou hast lifted me up, and set me as it were upon the wind, and thou hast mightily dashed me.

²³I know that thou wilt deliver me to death, where a house is appointed for every one that liveth.

²⁴But yet thou stretchest not forth thy hand to their consumption: and if they shall fall down thou wilt save.

²⁵I wept heretofore for him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.

²⁶I expected good things, and evils are come upon me: I waited for light, and darkness broke out.

²⁷My inner parts have boiled without any rest, the days of affliction have prevented me.

²⁸I went mourning without indignation; I rose up, and cried in the crowd.

²⁹I was the brother of dragons, and companion of ostriches.

³⁰My skin is become black upon me, and my bones are dried up with heat.

³¹My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.