1 “ But now they mock at me, men younger than I, Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.

And now, laughed at me, Have the younger in days than I, Whose fathers I have loathed 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.

Also -- the power of their hands, why to me? On them hath old age perished.

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

With want and with famine gloomy, Those fleeing to a dry place, Formerly a desolation and waste,

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

Those cropping mallows near a shrub, And broom-roots their food.

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

From the midst they are cast out, (They shout against them as a thief),

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

In a frightful place of valleys to dwell, Holes of earth and clefts.

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

Among shrubs they do groan, Under nettles they are gathered together.

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

Sons of folly -- even sons without name, They have been smitten from the land.

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

And now, their song I have been, And I am to them for a byword.

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

They have abominated me, They have kept far from me, And from before me have not spared to spit.

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

Because His cord He loosed and afflicteth me, And the bridle from before me, They have cast away.

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

On the right hand doth a brood arise, My feet they have cast away, And they raise up against me, Their paths of calamity.

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

They have broken down my path, By my calamity they profit, `He hath no helper.'

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

As a wide breach they come, Under the desolation have rolled themselves.

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

He hath turned against me terrors, It pursueth as the wind mine abundance, And as a thick cloud, Hath my safety passed away.

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

And now, in me my soul poureth itself out, Seize me do days of affliction.

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

At night my bone hath been pierced in me, And mine eyelids do not lie down.

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

By the abundance of power, Is my clothing changed, As the mouth of my coat it doth gird me.

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

Casting me into 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 have stood, and Thou dost consider me.

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

Thou art turned to be fierce to me, With the strength of Thy hand, Thou oppresest me.

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

Thou dost lift me up, On the wind Thou dost cause me to ride, And Thou meltest -- Thou levellest me.

23 F or I know that You will bring me to death, And to the house appointed for all living.

For I have known To death Thou dost bring me back, And 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.

Surely not against the heap Doth He send forth the hand, Though in its ruin they have safety.

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 whose day is hard? Grieved hath my soul 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 good I expected, then cometh evil, And I wait for light, and darkness cometh.

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

My bowels have boiled, and have not ceased, Gone before me have days of affliction.

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

Mourning I have gone without the sun, I have risen, in an assembly I cry.

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

A brother I have been to dragons, And a companion to daughters of the ostrich.

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

My skin hath been black upon me, And my bone hath burned from heat,

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

And my harp doth become mourning, And my organ the sound of weeping.