|
|
| [1]ועתה שחקו עלי צעירים ממני לימים אשר־מאסתי אבותם לשית עם־כלבי צאני |
[1]But now the youngest have laughed me to scorn, now they reprove me in their turn, whose fathers I set at nought; whom I did not deem worthy to be with my shepherd dogs. |
| [2]גם־כח ידיהם למה לי עלימו אבד כלח |
[2]Yea, why had I the strength of their hands? for them the full term of life was lost. |
| [3]בחסר ובכפן גלמוד הערקים ציה־אמש שואה ומשאה |
[3]One is childless in want and famine, such as they that fled but lately the distress and misery of drought. |
| [4]הקטפים מלוח עלי־שיח ושרש רתמים לחמם |
[4]Who compass the salt places on the sounding shore, who had salt herbs for their food, and were dishonorable and of no repute, in want of every good thing; who also ate roots of trees by reason of great hunger. |
| [5]מן־גו יגרשו יריעו עלימו כגנב |
[5]Thieves have risen up against me, |
| [6]בערוץ נחלים לשכן חרי עפר וכפים |
[6]whose houses were the caves of the rocks, who lived under the wild shrubs. |
| [7]בין־שיחים ינהקו תחת חרול יספחו |
[7]They will cry out among the rustling bushes. |
| [8]בני־נבל גם־בני בלי־שם נכאו מן־הארץ |
[8]They are sons of fools and vile men, whose name and glory are quenched from off the earth. |
| [9]ועתה נגינתם הייתי ואהי להם למלה |
[9]But now I am their music, and they have me for a by-word. |
| [10]תעבוני רחקו מני ומפני לא־חשכו רק |
[10]And they stood aloof and abhorred me, and spared not to spit in my face. |
| [11]כי־יתרו [Q: יתרי] פתח ויענני ורסן מפני שלחו |
[11]For he has opened his quiver and afflicted me: they also have cast off the restraint of my presence. |
| [12]על־ימין פרחח יקומו רגלי שלחו ויסלו עלי ארחות אידם |
[12]They have risen up against me on the right hand of their offspring; they have stretched out their foot, and directed against me the ways of their destruction. |
| [13]נתסו נתיבתי להותי יעילו לא עזר למו |
[13]My paths are ruined; for they have stripped off my raiment: he has shot at me with his weapons. |
| [14]כפרץ רחב יאתיו תחת שאה התגלגלו |
[14]And he has pleaded against me as he will: I am overwhelmed with pains. |
| [15]ההפך עלי בלהות תרדף כרוח נדבתי וכעב עברה ישעתי |
[15]My pains return upon me; my hope is gone like the wind, and my safety as a cloud. |
| [16]ועתה־עלי תשתפך נפשי יאחזוני ימי־עני |
[16]Even now my life shall be poured forth upon me; and days of anguish seize me. |
| [17]לילה־עצמי נקר מעלי וערקי לא ישכבון |
[17]And by night my bones are confounded; and my sinews are relaxed. |
| [18]ברב־כח יתחפש לבושי כפי כתנתי יאזרני |
[18]With great force my disease has taken hold of my garment: it has compassed me as the collar of my coat. |
| [19]הרני לחמר ואתמשל כעפר ואפר |
[19]And thou hast counted me as clay; my portion in dust and ashes. |
| [20]אשוע אליך ולא תענני עמדתי ותתבנן בי |
[20]And I have cried to thee, but thou hearest me not: but they stood still, and observed me. |
| [21]תהפך לאכזר לי בעצם ידך תשטמני |
[21]They attacked me also without mercy: thou hast scourged me with a strong hand. |
| [22]תשאני אל־רוח תרכיבני ותמגגני תשוה [Q: תשיה] |
[22]And thou hast put me to grief, and hast cast me away from safety. |
| [23]כי־ידעתי מות תשיבני ובית מועד לכל־חי |
[23]For I know that death will destroy me: for the earth is the house appointed for every mortal. |
| [24]אך לא־בעי ישלח־יד אם־בפידו להן שוע |
[24]Oh then that I might lay hands upon myself, or at least ask another, and he should do this for me. |
| [25]אם־לא בכיתי לקשה־יום עגמה נפשי לאביון |
[25]Yet I wept over every helpless man; I groaned when I saw a man in distress. |
| [26]כי טוב קויתי ויבא רע ואיחלה לאור ויבא אפל |
[26]But I, when I waited for good things, behold, days of evils came the more upon me. |
| [27]מעי רתחו ולא־דמו קדמני ימי־עני |
[27]My belly boiled, and would not cease: the days of poverty prevented me. |
| [28]קדר הלכתי בלא חמה קמתי בקהל אשוע |
[28]I went mourning without restraint: and I have stood and cried out in the assembly. |
| [29]אח הייתי לתנים ורע לבנות יענה |
[29]I am become a brother of monsters, and a companion of ostriches. |
| [30]עורי שחר מעלי ועצמי־חרה מני־חרב |
[30]And my skin has been greatly blackened, and my bones are burned with heat. |
| [31]ויהי לאבל כנרי ועגבי לקול בכים |
[31]My harp also has been turned into mourning, and my song into my weeping. |