1 “ But now they mock at me, men younger than I, 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 would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

2 I ndeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me? Their vigor has perished.

Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?

3 T hey are gaunt from want and famine, Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste,

For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.

4 W ho pluck mallow by the bushes, And broom tree roots for their food.

Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.

5 T hey were driven out from among men, They shouted at them as at a thief.

They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

6 T hey had to live in the clefts of the valleys, In caves of the earth and the rocks.

to dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.

7 A mong the bushes they brayed, Under the nettles they nestled.

Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

8 T hey were sons of fools, Yes, sons of vile men; They were scourged from the land.

They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

9 “ And now I am their taunting song; Yes, I am their byword.

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

10 T hey abhor me, they keep far from me; They do not hesitate to spit in my face.

They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

11 B ecause He has loosed my bowstring and afflicted me, They have cast off restraint before me.

Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

12 A t my right hand the rabble arises; They push away my feet, And they raise against me their ways of destruction.

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

13 T hey break up my path, They promote my calamity; They have no helper.

They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

14 T hey come as broad breakers; Under the ruinous storm they roll along.

They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

15 T errors are turned upon me; They pursue my honor as the wind, And my prosperity has passed like a cloud.

Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.

16 “ And now my soul is poured out because of my plight; The days of affliction take hold of me.

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

17 M y bones are pierced in me at night, And my gnawing pains take no rest.

My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

18 B y great force my garment is disfigured; It binds me about as the collar of my coat.

By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth 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 am become like dust and ashes.

20 “ I cry out to You, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You regard me.

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

21 B ut You have become cruel to me; With the strength of Your hand You oppose me.

Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

22 Y ou lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it; You spoil my success.

Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.

23 F or I know that You will bring me to death, And 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.

24 “ Surely He would not stretch out His hand against a heap of ruins, If they cry out when He destroys it.

Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.

25 H ave I not wept for him who was in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

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

26 B ut when I looked for good, evil came to me; And when I waited for light, then came darkness.

When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

27 M y heart is in turmoil and cannot rest; Days of affliction confront me.

My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

28 I go about mourning, but not in the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.

I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.

29 I am a brother of jackals, And a companion of ostriches.

I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

30 M y skin grows black and falls from me; My bones burn with fever.

My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

31 M y harp is turned to mourning, And my flute to the voice of those who weep.

My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.