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| [1]But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock. |
[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]Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? men in whom ripe age is perished. |
[2]Yea, why had I the strength of their hands? for them the full term of life was lost. |
| [3]They are gaunt with want and famine; they gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom wasteness and desolation. |
[3]One is childless in want and famine, such as they that fled but lately the distress and misery of drought. |
| [4]They pluck salt-wort with wormwood; and the roots of the broom are their food. |
[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]They are driven forth from the midst of men; they cry after them as after a thief. |
[5]Thieves have risen up against me, |
| [6]In the clefts of the valleys must they dwell, in holes of the earth and of the rocks. |
[6]whose houses were the caves of the rocks, who lived under the wild shrubs. |
| [7]Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they are gathered together. |
[7]They will cry out among the rustling bushes. |
| [8]They are children of churls, yea, children o ignoble men; they were scourged out of the land. |
[8]They are sons of fools and vile men, whose name and glory are quenched from off the earth. |
| [9]And now I am become their song, yea, I am a byword unto them. |
[9]But now I am their music, and they have me for a by-word. |
| [10]They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. |
[10]And they stood aloof and abhorred me, and spared not to spit in my face. |
| [11]For He hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, and they have cast off the bridle before me. |
[11]For he has opened his quiver and afflicted me: they also have cast off the restraint of my presence. |
| [12]Upon my right hand rise the brood; they entangle my feet, and they cast up against me their ways of destruction. |
[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]They break up my path, they further my calamity, even men that have no helper. |
[13]My paths are ruined; for they have stripped off my raiment: he has shot at me with his weapons. |
| [14]As through a wide breach they come; in the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me. |
[14]And he has pleaded against me as he will: I am overwhelmed with pains. |
| [15]Terrors are turned upon me, they chase mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away as a cloud. |
[15]My pains return upon me; my hope is gone like the wind, and my safety as a cloud. |
| [16]And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me. |
[16]Even now my life shall be poured forth upon me; and days of anguish seize me. |
| [17]In the night my bones are pierced, and fall from me, and my sinews take no rest. |
[17]And by night my bones are confounded; and my sinews are relaxed. |
| [18]By the great force of my disease is my garment disfigured; it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat. |
[18]With great force my disease has taken hold of my garment: it has compassed me as the collar of my coat. |
| [19]He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. |
[19]And thou hast counted me as clay; my portion in dust and ashes. |
| [20]I cry unto Thee, and Thou dost not answer me; I stand up, and Thou lookest at me. |
[20]And I have cried to thee, but thou hearest me not: but they stood still, and observed me. |
| [21]Thou art turned to be cruel to me; with the might of Thy hand Thou hatest me. |
[21]They attacked me also without mercy: thou hast scourged me with a strong hand. |
| [22]Thou liftest me up to the wind, Thou causest me to ride upon it; and Thou dissolvest my substance. |
[22]And thou hast put me to grief, and hast cast me away from safety. |
| [23]For I know that Thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living. |
[23]For I know that death will destroy me: for the earth is the house appointed for every mortal. |
| [24]Surely none shall put forth his hand to a ruinous heap, neither because of these things shall help come in one's calamity, |
[24]Oh then that I might lay hands upon myself, or at least ask another, and he should do this for me. |
| [25]If I have not wept for him that was in trouble, and if my soul grieved not for the needy. |
[25]Yet I wept over every helpless man; I groaned when I saw a man in distress. |
| [26]Yet, when I looked for good, there came evil; and when I waited for light, there came darkness. |
[26]But I, when I waited for good things, behold, days of evils came the more upon me. |
| [27]Mine inwards boil, and rest not; days of affliction are come upon me. |
[27]My belly boiled, and would not cease: the days of poverty prevented me. |
| [28]I go mourning without the sun; I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help. |
[28]I went mourning without restraint: and I have stood and cried out in the assembly. |
| [29]I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches. |
[29]I am become a brother of monsters, and a companion of ostriches. |
| [30]My skin is black, and falleth from me, and my bones are burned with heat. |
[30]And my skin has been greatly blackened, and my bones are burned with heat. |
| [31]Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of them that weep. |
[31]My harp also has been turned into mourning, and my song into my weeping. |