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

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

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 broom tree roots for their food.

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

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

They are driven forth from the midst of men; They cry 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.

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

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

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

8 T hey were sons of fools, Yes, sons of vile men; 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 am their taunting song; Yes, I am their byword.

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

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

They abhor me, they stand aloof 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.

For he hath loosed his cord, and afflicted me; And they have cast off 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 rabble; They thrust aside my feet, And they cast up against me their ways of 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, Even men that have no helper.

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

As through a wide breach they come: In the midst of the ruin they roll 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 chase mine honor as the wind; And my welfare is passed 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 within me; 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.

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

18 B y great force my garment is disfigured; 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 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 answer me: I stand up, and thou gazest at me.

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

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

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

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 needy?

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

28 I go about mourning, but not in the sun; 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 am a brother of jackals, And a companion of ostriches.

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

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

My skin is black, and falleth from 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.

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