Job's Honor Turned into Contempt
1But 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.
2Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?
3For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.
4Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.
5They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)
6To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.
7Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.
8They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
9And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.
10They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
11Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.
12Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.
13They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.
14They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.
Job's Prosperity Becomes Calamity
15Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.
16And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
17My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.
18By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.
19He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.
20I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.
21Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.
22Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.
23For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
24Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.
25Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?
26When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
27My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.
28I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.
29I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
30My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.
31My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Job’s Honor Turned to Contempt
1 “But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs.
2 Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age has perished?
3 They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
4 They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom are their food.
5 They are driven out from the midst of men. They cry after them as after a thief;
6 So that they dwell in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
7 Among the bushes they bray; and under the nettles they are gathered together.
8 They are children of fools, yes, children of base men. They were flogged out of the land.
9 “Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.
11 For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.
12 On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet, They cast up against me their ways of destruction.
13 They mar my path, They set forward my calamity, without anyone’s help.
14 As through a wide breach they come, in the midst of the ruin they roll themselves in.
Job’s Prosperity Becomes Calamity
15 Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.
16 “Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold on me.
17 In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
18 By great force is my garment disfigured. It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
19 He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.
21 You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.
22 You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm.
23 For I know that you will bring me to death, To the house appointed for all living.
24 “However doesn’t one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
25 Didn’t I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn’t my soul grieved for the needy?
26 When I looked for good, then evil came; When I waited for light, there came darkness.
27 My heart is troubled, and doesn’t rest. Days of affliction have come on me.
28 I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
29 I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.
31 Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.
Job’s Honor Turned to Contempt
1 “But now they mock me,
men younger than I am,
whose fathers I would have refused
to entrust with my sheep dogs.
2 What use to me was the strength of their hands,
since their vigor had left them?
3 Gaunt from poverty and hunger,
they gnawed the dry land,
and the desolate wasteland by night.
4 They plucked mallow among the shrubs,
and the roots of the broom tree were their food. a
5 They were banished from among men,
shouted down like thieves,
6 so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis,
among the rocks and in holes in the ground.
7 They cried out among the shrubs
and huddled beneath the nettles.
8 A senseless and nameless brood,
they were driven off the land.
9 And now they mock me in song;
I have become a byword among them.
10 They abhor me and keep far from me;
they do not hesitate to spit in my face.
11 Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me,
they have cast off restraint b in my presence.
12 The rabble arises at my right;
they lay snares for my feet
and build siege ramps against me.
13 They tear up my path;
they profit from my destruction,
with no one to restrain them. c
14 They advance as through a wide breach;
through the ruins they keep rolling in.
Job’s Prosperity Becomes Calamity
15 Terrors are turned loose against me;
they drive away my dignity as by the wind,
and my prosperity has passed like a cloud.
16 And now my soul is poured out within me;
days of affliction grip me.
17 Night pierces my bones,
and my gnawing pains never rest.
18 With great force He grasps my garment; d
He seizes me by the collar of my tunic.
19 He throws me into the mud,
and I have become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer;
when I stand up, You merely look at me.
21 You have ruthlessly turned on me;
You oppose me with Your strong hand.
22 You snatch me up into the wind
and drive me before it;
You toss me about e in the storm.
23 Yes, I know that You will bring me down to death,
to the place appointed for all the living.
24 Yet no one stretches out his hand to a ruined man
when he cries for help in his distress.
25 Have I not wept for those in trouble?
Has my soul not grieved for the needy?
26 But when I hoped for good, evil came;
when I looked for light, darkness fell.
27 I am churning within and cannot rest;
days of affliction confront me.
28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun.
I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.
29 I have become a brother of jackals, f
a companion of ostriches. g
30 My skin grows black and peels,
and my bones burn with fever.
31 My harp is tuned to mourning
and my flute to the sound of weeping.
Footnotes:
4 a Or their fuel
11 b Hebrew the bridle
13 c Or with no one to assist them
18 d LXX; Hebrew He becomes like a garment to me  or my garment is disfigured
22 e Or You dissolve me
29 f Or serpents  or dragons
29 g Literally of daughters of an ostrich  or of daughters of an owl
Job's Honor Turned into Contempt
1And now, laughed at me, Have the younger in days than I, Whose fathers I have loathed to set With the dogs of my flock.
2Also -- the power of their hands, why is it to me? On them hath old age perished.
3With want and with famine gloomy, Those fleeing to a dry place, Formerly a desolation and waste,
4Those cropping mallows near a shrub, And broom-roots is their food.
5From the midst they are cast out, (They shout against them as a thief),
6In a frightful place of valleys to dwell, Holes of earth and clefts.
7Among shrubs they do groan, Under nettles they are gathered together.
8Sons of folly -- even sons without name, They have been smitten from the land.
9And now, their song I have been, And I am to them for a byword.
10They have abominated me, They have kept far from me, And from before me have not spared to spit.
11Because His cord He loosed and afflicteth me, And the bridle from before me, They have cast away.
12On the right hand doth a brood arise, My feet they have cast away, And they raise up against me, Their paths of calamity.
13They have broken down my path, By my calamity they profit, 'He hath no helper.'
14As a wide breach they come, Under the desolation have rolled themselves.
Job's Prosperity Becomes Calamity
15He hath turned against me terrors, It pursueth as the wind mine abundance, And as a thick cloud, Hath my safety passed away.
16And now, in me my soul poureth itself out, Seize me do days of affliction.
17At night my bone hath been pierced in me, And mine eyelids do not lie down.
18By the abundance of power, Is my clothing changed, As the mouth of my coat it doth gird me.
19Casting me into mire, And I am become like dust and ashes.
20I cry unto Thee, And Thou dost not answer me, I have stood, and Thou dost consider me.
21Thou art turned to be fierce to me, With the strength of Thy hand, Thou oppressest me.
22Thou dost lift me up, On the wind Thou dost cause me to ride, And Thou meltest -- Thou levellest me.
23For I have known To death Thou dost bring me back, And to the house appointed for all living.
24Surely not against the heap Doth He send forth the hand, Though in its ruin they have safety.
25Did not I weep for him whose day is hard? Grieved hath my soul for the needy.
26When good I expected, then cometh evil, And I wait for light, and darkness cometh.
27My bowels have boiled, and have not ceased, Gone before me have days of affliction.
28Mourning I have gone without the sun, I have risen, in an assembly I cry.
29A brother I have been to dragons, And a companion to daughters of the ostrich.
30My skin hath been black upon me, And my bone hath burned from heat,
31And my harp doth become mourning, And my organ the sound of weeping.
