Job 30

¹Bvt now they that are yonger then I, mocke me: yea, they whose fathers I haue refused to set with the dogges of my flockes.

²For whereto shoulde the strength of their handes haue serued mee, seeing age perished in them?

³For pouertie and famine they were solitary, fleeing into the wildernes, which is darke, desolate and waste.

⁴They cut vp nettels by the bushes, and the iuniper rootes was their meate.

⁵They were chased forth from among men: they shouted at them, as at a theefe.

⁶Therfore they dwelt in the clefts of riuers, in the holes of the earth and rockes.

⁷They roared among the bushes, and vnder the thistles they gathered themselues.

⁸They were the children of fooles and the children of villaines, which were more vile then the earth.

⁹And now am I their song, and I am their talke.

¹⁰They abhorre me, and flee farre from mee, and spare not to spit in my face.

¹¹Because that God hath loosed my corde and humbled mee, they haue loosed the bridle before me.

¹²The youth rise vp at my right hand: they haue pusht my feete, and haue trode on me as on the paths of their destruction.

¹³They haue destroyed my paths: they tooke pleasure at my calamitie, they had none helpe.

¹⁴They came as a great breach of waters, and vnder this calamitie they come on heapes.

¹⁵Feare is turned vpon mee: and they pursue my soule as the winde, and mine health passeth away as a cloude.

¹⁶Therefore my soule is nowe powred out vpon me, and the dayes of affliction haue taken holde on me.

¹⁷It pearceth my bones in the night, and my sinewes take no rest.

¹⁸For the great vehemencie is my garment changed, which compasseth me about as the colar of my coate.

¹⁹He hath cast me into the myre, and I am become like ashes and dust.

²⁰Whe I cry vnto thee, thou doest not heare me, neither regardest me, when I stand vp.

²¹Thou turnest thy selfe cruelly against me, and art enemie vnto mee with the strength of thine hand.

²²Thou takest me vp and causest mee to ride vpon the winde, and makest my strength to faile.

²³Surely I knowe that thou wilt bring mee to death, and to the house appoynted for all the liuing.

²⁴Doubtles none can stretch his hand vnto the graue, though they cry in his destruction.

²⁵Did not I weepe with him that was in trouble? was not my soule in heauinesse for the poore?

²⁶Yet when I looked for good, euill came vnto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkenesse.

²⁷My bowels did boyle without rest: for the dayes of affliction are come vpon me.

²⁸I went mourning without sunne: I stood vp in the congregation and cryed.

²⁹I am a brother to the dragons, and a companion to the ostriches.

³⁰My skinne is blacke vpon me, and my bones are burnt with heate.

³¹Therefore mine harpe is turned to mourning, and mine organs into the voyce of them that weepe.

Job 30

¹But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

²Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?

³For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.

⁴Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.

⁵They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

⁶To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.

⁷Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

⁸They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

⁹And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

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

¹¹Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

¹²Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

¹³They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

¹⁴They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

¹⁵Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.

¹⁶And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

¹⁷My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

¹⁸By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

¹⁹He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.

²⁰I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

²¹Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

²²Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.

²³For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

²⁴Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.

²⁵Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

²⁶When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

²⁷My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

²⁸I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.

²⁹I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

³⁰My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

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