“But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I considered unworthy to put with my sheep dogs.
But 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.
Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age has perished?
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?
They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.
They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom tree are their food.
Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.
They are driven out from among men. They cry after them as after a thief,
They were driven forth from among men , (they cried after them as after a thief;)
so that they live in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.
They bray among the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles.
Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.
They are children of fools, yes, children of wicked men. They were flogged out of the land.
They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
“Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.
They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.
They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.
Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.
On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet. They cast their ways of destruction up against me.
Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.
They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone’s help.
They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.
As through a wide breach they come. They roll themselves in amid the ruin.
They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters : in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me .
Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.
Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.
“Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.
My garment is disfigured by great force. It binds me about as the collar of my tunic.
By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.
He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes.
He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.
I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.
I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not .
You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.
Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.
You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm.
Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it , and dissolvest my substance.
For I know that you will bring me to death, to the house appointed for all living.
For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
“However doesn’t one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.
Didn’t I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn’t my soul grieved for the needy?
Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?
When I looked for good, then evil came. When I waited for light, darkness came.
When I looked for good, then evil came unto me : and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
My heart is troubled, and doesn’t rest. Days of affliction have come on me.
My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.
I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.
I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.
My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.
Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.