1 “ But now those younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I disdained to put 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 “ Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them.

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

3 “ From want and famine they are gaunt Who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation,

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

4 W ho pluck mallow by the bushes, And whose food is the root of the broom shrub.

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

5 “ They are driven from the community; They shout against them as against a thief,

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

6 S o that they dwell in dreadful valleys, In holes of the earth and of the rocks.

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

7 “ Among the bushes they cry out; Under the nettles they are gathered together.

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

8 “ Fools, even those without a name, They were scourged from the land.

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

9 “ And now I have become their taunt, I have even become a byword to them.

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

10 “ They abhor me and stand aloof from me, And they do not refrain from spitting at my face.

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

11 “ Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me, They have 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 “ On the right hand their brood arises; They thrust aside my feet and build up against me their ways of destruction.

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

13 “ They break up my path, They profit from my destruction; No one restrains them.

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

14 “ As through a wide breach they come, Amid the tempest they roll on.

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

15 “ Terrors are turned against me; They pursue my honor as the wind, And my prosperity has 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 “ And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have seized me.

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

17 “ At night it pierces my bones within 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 “ By a great force my garment is distorted; It binds 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 “ He has 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 out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.

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

21 “ You have become cruel to me; With the might of Your hand You persecute me.

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

22 “ You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride; And You dissolve me in a storm.

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

23 “ For I know that You will bring me to death And to the house of meeting for all living.

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

24 “ Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand, Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?

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

25 “ Have I not wept for the one whose life is 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 “ When I expected good, then evil came; When I waited for light, then darkness came.

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

27 “ I am seething within and cannot relax; Days of affliction confront me.

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

28 “ I go about mourning without comfort; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.

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

29 “ I have become a brother to jackals And a companion of ostriches.

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

30 “ My skin turns black on me, And my bones burn with fever.

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

31 “ Therefore my harp is turned to mourning, And my flute to the sound of those who weep.

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