1“But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to put with my sheep dogs.“But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I considered unworthy to put with my sheep dogs.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.But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, Whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.2What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them?Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age has perished?Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? Men in whom ripe age is perished.3Gaunt from poverty and hunger, they gnawed the dry land, and the desolate wasteland by night.They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.They are gaunt with want and famine; They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of wasteness and desolation.4They plucked mallow among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food.They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom tree are their food.Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.They pluck salt-wort by the bushes; And the roots of the broom are their food.5They were banished from among men, shouted at like thieves,They are driven out from among men. They cry after them as after a thief,They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)They are driven forth from the midst of men; They cry after them as after a thief;6so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.so that they live in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.So that they dwell in frightful valleys, In holes of the earth and of the rocks.7They cried out among the shrubs and huddled beneath the nettles.They bray among the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles.Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.Among the bushes they bray; Under the nettles they are gathered together.8A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land.They are children of fools, yes, children of wicked men. They were flogged out of the land.They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.They are children of fools, yea, children of base men; They were scourged out of the land.9And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.“Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.And now I am become their song, Yea, I am a byword unto them.10They abhor me and keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, And spare not to spit in my face.11Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint in my presence.For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.For he hath loosed his cord, and afflicted me; And they have cast off the bridle before me.12The rabble arises at my right; they lay snares for my feet and build siege ramps against me.On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet. They cast their ways of destruction up against me.Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.Upon my right hand rise the rabble; They thrust aside my feet, And they cast up against me their ways of destruction.13They tear up my path; they profit from my destruction, with no one to restrain them.They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone’s help.They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.They mar my path, They set forward my calamity, Even men that have no helper.14They advance as through a wide breach; through the ruins they keep rolling in.As through a wide breach they come. They roll themselves in amid the ruin.They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.As through a wide breach they come: In the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me.15Terrors are turned loose against me; they drive away my dignity as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed like a cloud.Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.Terrors are turned upon me; They chase mine honor as the wind; And my welfare is passed away as a cloud.16And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction grip me.“Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me.And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have taken hold upon me.17Night pierces my bones, and my gnawing pains never rest.In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.In the night season my bones are pierced in me, And the pains that gnaw me take no rest.18With great force He grasps my garment; He seizes me by the collar of my tunic.My garment is disfigured by great force. It binds me about as the collar of my tunic.By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth 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.19He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes.He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes.He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.He hath cast me into the mire, And I am become like dust and ashes.20I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer; when I stand up, You merely look at me.I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.I cry unto thee, and thou dost not answer me: I stand up, and thou gazest at me.21You have ruthlessly turned on me; You oppose me with Your strong hand.You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.Thou art turned to be cruel to me; With the might of thy hand thou persecutest me.22You snatch me up into the wind and drive me before it; You toss me about in the storm.You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm.Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.Thou liftest me up to the wind, thou causest me to ride upon it; And thou dissolvest me in the storm.23Yes, I know that You will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.For I know that you will bring me to death, 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.For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, And to the house appointed for all living.24Yet no one stretches out his hand against a ruined man when he cries for help in his distress.“However doesn’t one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.Howbeit doth not one stretch out the hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?25Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?Didn’t I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn’t my soul grieved for the needy?Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was 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?26But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.When I looked for good, then evil came. When I waited for light, darkness came.When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.When I looked for good, then evil came; And when I waited for light, there came darkness.27I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me.My heart is troubled, and doesn’t rest. Days of affliction have come on me.My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.My heart is troubled, and resteth not; Days of affliction are come upon me.28I go about blackened, but not by the sun. I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.I go mourning without the sun: I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.29I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.I am a brother to jackals, And a companion to ostriches.30My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever.My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.My skin is black, and falleth from me, And my bones are burned with heat.31My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, And my pipe into the voice of them that weep.
Berean Standard Bible (public domain).World English Bible (public domain).King James Version (public domain in the US).American Standard Version, 1901 (public domain).