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

But 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.

2 F or, unto what might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom time was lost?

Yea, whereto the strength of their hands me, in whom vigour hath perished?

3 F or want and famine they walked alone; fleeing into solitude, to the dark place, desolate and waste.

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

4 W ho cut up mallows among the bushes and juniper roots for their food.

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

5 T hey were driven forth from among men (they cried after them as after a thief).

They are driven forth from among —they cry after them as after a thief—

6 T hey dwelt in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.

To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:

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

They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:

8 T hey were sons of fools and men without names; they were lower than the earth.

Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.

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

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

10 T hey abhor me, they distance themselves from me, and do not spare to spit in my face.

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

11 B ecause God has loosed my cord and afflicted me, they have also gone out of control before my face.

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

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

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

13 T hey cast down my path, they took advantage of my calamity, against them there was no helper.

They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, without any to help them;

14 T hey came in as through a wide breach; they were stirred up because of my calamity.

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

15 ¶ They have loosed terrors upon me; they fought my will as the wind and my saving health as a cloud that passes.

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

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

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

17 M y bones pierce me in the night, and my sinews take no rest.

The night pierceth through my bones from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:

18 B y the great force of my disease my garment is changed; it binds me about as the collar of my coat.

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

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

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

20 I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me; I present myself, and thou regardest me not.

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

21 T hou art become cruel to me; with the strength of thy hand thou dost hate me.

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

22 T hou didst lift me up and cause me to ride upon the wind, and didst dissolve my being.

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

23 F or I know that thou dost conduct me unto death and to the house appointed for all living.

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

24 B ut he will not stretch out his hand against the grave; do those who are buried cry out when he destroys them?

Indeed, no prayer when he stretcheth out hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.

25 D id I not weep for the one that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

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

26 W hen I expected good, then evil came unto me; and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.

27 M y bowels boil and do not rest; the days of affliction came upon me.

My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.

28 I went about darkened, but not by the sun; I stood up and cried out in the congregation.

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

29 I have become a brother to dragons and a companion to owls.

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

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

My skin is become black off me, and my bones are parched with heat.

31 M y harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.

My harp also is to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.