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

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

2 Y ea, whereto the strength of their hands me, in whom vigour hath perished?

Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age is perished.

3 W ithered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert:

They are gaunt with want and famine; They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of wasteness and desolation.

4 T hey gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food.

They pluck salt-wort by the bushes; And the roots of the broom are their food.

5 T hey are driven forth from among —they cry after them as after a thief—

They are driven forth from the midst of men; They cry after them as after a thief;

6 T o dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:

So that they dwell in frightful valleys, In holes of the earth and of the rocks.

7 T hey bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:

Among the bushes they bray; Under the nettles they are gathered together.

8 S ons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.

They are children of fools, yea, children of base men; They were scourged out of the land.

9 A nd now I am their song, yea, I am their byword.

And now I am become their song, Yea, I am a byword unto them.

10 T hey abhor me, they stand aloof from me, yea, they spare not to spit in my face.

They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, And spare not to spit in my face.

11 F or he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me; so they cast off the bridle before me.

For he hath loosed his cord, and afflicted me; And they have cast off the bridle before me.

12 A t right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;

Upon my right hand rise the rabble; They thrust aside my feet, And they cast up against me their ways of destruction.

13 T hey mar my path, they set forward my calamity, without any to help them;

They mar my path, They set forward my calamity, Even men that have no helper.

14 T hey come in as through a wide breach: amid the confusion they roll themselves onward.

As through a wide breach they come: In the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me.

15 T errors are turned against me; they pursue mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away like a cloud.

Terrors are turned upon me; They chase mine honor as the wind; And my welfare is passed away as a cloud.

16 A nd now my soul is poured out in me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

17 T he night pierceth through my bones from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:

In the night season my bones are pierced in me, And the pains that gnaw me take no rest.

18 B y their great force they have become my raiment; they bind me about as the collar of my coat.

By God's great force is my garment disfigured; It bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

19 H e hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.

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

20 I cry unto thee, and thou answerest me not; I stand up, and thou lookest at me.

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not answer me: I stand up, and thou gazest at me.

21 T hou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.

Thou art turned to be cruel to me; With the might of thy hand thou persecutest me.

22 T hou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to be borne away, and dissolvest my substance.

Thou liftest me up to the wind, thou causest me to ride upon it; And thou dissolvest me in the storm.

23 F or I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and into the house of assemblage for all living.

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

24 I ndeed, no prayer when he stretcheth out hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.

Howbeit doth not one stretch out the hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?

25 D id not I weep for him whose days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy?

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

26 F or I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.

When I looked for good, then evil came; And when I waited for light, there came darkness.

27 M y bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.

My heart is troubled, and resteth not; Days of affliction are come upon me.

28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.

I go mourning without the sun: I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.

29 I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches.

I am a brother to jackals, And a companion to ostriches.

30 M y skin is become black off me, and my bones are parched with heat.

My skin is black, and falleth from me, And my bones are burned with heat.

31 M y harp also is to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.

Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, And my pipe into the voice of them that weep.