from Crossway1“But now they laugh at me, men who are younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock. (Job 12:4; Job 32:4; Job 32:6)2What could I gain from the strength of their hands, men whose vigor is gone? (Job 5:26; Job 24:4)3Through want and hard hunger they gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation; (Job 30:17; Job 38:27; Jer 2:6; Zep 1:15)4they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes, and the roots of the broom tree for their food.[1]5They are driven out from human company; they shout after them as after a thief. (1Sa 26:19)6In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell, in holes of the earth and of the rocks. (1Sa 13:6; Jer 4:29)7Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they huddle together. (Job 6:5; Pr 24:31; Zep 2:9)8A senseless, a nameless brood, they have been whipped out of the land.9“And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them. (Job 17:6; Ps 69:12; La 3:14; La 3:63)10They abhor me; they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me. (Nu 12:14; Job 17:6; Ps 88:8; Isa 50:6; Mt 26:67; Mt 27:30)11Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me, they have cast off restraint[2] in my presence.12On my right hand the rabble rise; they push away my feet; they cast up against me their ways of destruction. (Job 19:12; Ps 109:6)13They break up my path; they promote my calamity; they need no one to help them. (Job 6:2)14As through a wide breach they come; amid the crash they roll on. (Job 16:14)15Terrors are turned upon me; my honor is pursued as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. (Job 7:9; Job 18:11; Isa 44:22)16“And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me. (1Sa 1:15; Job 10:1)17The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest. (Job 7:3; Job 30:3; Job 33:19)18With great force my garment is disfigured; it binds me about like the collar of my tunic. (1Sa 28:8; 1Ki 20:38)19God[3] has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. (Ge 18:27; Job 42:6)20I cry to you for help and you do not answer me; I stand, and you only look at me.21You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me. (Job 16:9; Isa 63:10; La 4:3)22You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm. (Job 27:21)23For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living. (Job 19:25; Job 28:21)24“Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand, and in his disaster cry for help?[4] (Ps 79:1; Jer 26:18; Mic 1:6; Mic 3:12)25Did not I weep for him whose day was hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy? (Ps 35:13; Ro 12:15)26But when I hoped for good, evil came, and when I waited for light, darkness came. (Job 10:21; Jer 8:15; Jer 14:19)27My inward parts are in turmoil and never still; days of affliction come to meet me. (2Sa 22:6; Ps 18:5)28I go about darkened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. (Ps 38:6; Ps 42:9; Ps 43:2; Pr 26:26)29I am a brother of jackals and a companion of ostriches. (Isa 13:21; Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39; Mic 1:8)30My skin turns black and falls from me, and my bones burn with heat. (Ps 102:3; Ps 119:83; La 4:8; La 5:10)31My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep. (Job 21:12; La 5:15)
Job 30
New International Version
from Biblica1‘But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs.2Of what use was the strength of their hands to me, since their vigour had gone from them?3Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed[1] the parched land in desolate wastelands at night.4In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food[2] was the root of the broom bush.5They were banished from human society, shouted at as if they were thieves.6They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.7They brayed among the bushes and huddled in the undergrowth.8A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land.9‘And now those young men mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.10They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.11Now that God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they throw off restraint in my presence.12On my right the tribe[3] attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege ramps against me.13They break up my road; they succeed in destroying me. “No-one can help him,” they say.14They advance as through a gaping breach; amid the ruins they come rolling in.15Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud.16‘And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me.17Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest.18In his great power God becomes like clothing to me[4]; he binds me like the neck of my garment.19He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes.20‘I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me.21You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me.22You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm.23I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.24‘Surely no-one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress.25Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?26Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.27The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me.28I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.29I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls.30My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever.31My lyre is tuned to mourning, and my pipe to the sound of wailing.
Job 30
New International Reader’s Version
from Biblica1‘But now those who are younger than I am make fun of me. I wouldn’t even put their parents with my sheep dogs!2Their strong hands couldn’t give me any help. That’s because their strength was gone.3They were weak because they were needy and hungry. They wandered through dry and empty deserts at night.4Among the bushes they gathered salty plants. They ate the roots of desert bushes.5They were driven away from human society. They were shouted at as if they were robbers.6They were forced to live in dry stream beds. They had to stay among rocks and in holes in the ground.7Like donkeys they cried out among the bushes. There they crowded together and hid.8They were so foolish that no one respected them. They were driven out of the land.9‘Now their children laugh at me. They make fun of me with their songs.10They hate me. They stay away from me. They even dare to spit in my face.11God has made my body weak. It’s like a tent that has fallen down. So those children do what they want to in front of me.12Many people attack me on my right side. They lay traps for my feet. They come at me from every direction.13They tear up the road I walk on. They succeed in destroying me. They say, “No one can help him.”14They attack me like troops smashing through a wall. Among the destroyed buildings they come rolling in.15Terrors sweep over me. My honour is driven away as if by the wind. My safety vanishes like a cloud.16‘Now my life is slipping away. Days of suffering grab hold of me.17At night my bones hurt. My aches and pains never stop.18God’s great power becomes like clothes to me. He chokes me like the neck of my shirt.19He throws me down into the mud. I’m nothing but dust and ashes.20‘God, I cry out to you. But you don’t answer me. I stand up. But all you do is look at me.21You do mean things to me. You attack me with your mighty power.22You pick me up and blow me away with the wind. You toss me around in the storm.23I know that you will bring me down to death. That’s what you have appointed for everyone.24‘No one would crush people when they cry out for help in their trouble.25Haven’t I wept for those who are in trouble? Haven’t I felt sorry for poor people?26I hoped good things would happen, but something evil came. I looked for light, but all I saw was darkness.27My insides are always churning. Nothing but days of suffering are ahead of me.28My skin has become dark, but the sun didn’t do it. I stand up in the community and cry out for help.29I’ve become a brother to wild dogs. Owls are my companions.30My skin grows black and peels. My body burns with fever.31My lyre is tuned to sadness. My flute makes a sound like weeping.
Job 30
King James Version
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 .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.
1Jetzt aber lachen über mich, / die jünger sind als ich an Tagen, / deren Väter ich nicht für wert geachtet, / sie bei den Hunden meiner Herde anzustellen.2Was sollte mir auch ihrer Hände Kraft? / Geschwunden war ihre Rüstigkeit3durch Mangel und durch harten Hunger; / Leute, die das dürre Land abnagen, / das Gras der Wüste und der Wüstenei.4Sie pflücken Salzmelde im Gesträuch / und Ginsterwurzeln sind ihr Brot.5Aus der Gemeinschaft wurden sie verjagt; / man schreit ihnen nach wie einem Dieb.6Am Hang der Täler müssen sie wohnen, / in Erdhöhlen und in Felsgeklüft.7Zwischen Sträuchern schreien sie kläglich, / drängen sich zusammen unter wildem Gestrüpp.8Gemeine Leute, Leute ohne Namen, / sie wurden aus dem Land hinausgepeitscht.9Jetzt aber bin ich ihr Spottlied, / bin zum Klatsch für sie geworden. (Ps 69:13; La 3:14)10Sie verabscheuen mich, rücken weit von mir weg, / scheuen sich nicht, mir ins Gesicht zu spucken.11Denn er löste meines Bogens Sehne und beugte mich nieder, / sie aber ließen die Zügel vor mir schießen.12Zur rechten Seite erhebt sich eine Schar, / treibt meine Füße weg, / wirft gegen mich ihre Unheilsdämme auf. (Ps 109:6)13Meinen Pfad reißen sie auf, helfen zu meinem Verderben / und niemand wehrt ihnen.[1]14Wie durch eine breite Bresche kommen sie heran, / wälzen sich unter Trümmern heran.15Schrecken stürzen auf mich ein, / verjagt wie vom Wind ist mein Ansehen, / wie eine Wolke entschwand mein Heil.16Und nun zerfließt meine Seele in mir, / des Elends Tage packen mich an.17Des Nachts durchbohrt es mir die Knochen, / mein nagender Schmerz kommt nicht zur Ruh.18Mit Allgewalt packt er mich am Kleid, / schnürt wie der Gürtel des Rocks mich ein.19Er warf mich in den Lehm, / sodass ich Staub und Asche gleiche. (Ge 3:19; Ec 12:7)20Ich schreie zu dir und du antwortest mir nicht; / ich stehe da, doch du achtest nicht auf mich.[2]21Du wandelst dich zum grausamen Feind gegen mich, / mit deiner starken Hand befehdest du mich. (Job 34:6)22Du hebst mich in den Wind, fährst mich dahin, / lässt mich zergehen im Sturmgebraus. (Ps 109:23)23Ja, ich weiß, du führst mich zum Tod, / zur Sammelstätte aller Lebenden.24Doch nicht an Trümmer legt er die Hand. - / Schreit man nicht um Hilfe beim Untergang?25Weinte ich nicht um den, der harte Tage hatte, / grämte sich nicht meine Seele über den Armen? (Ro 12:15)26Ja, ich hoffte auf Gutes, doch Böses kam, / ich harrte auf Licht, doch Finsternis kam.27Mein Inneres kocht und kommt nicht zur Ruhe, / mich haben die Tage des Elends erreicht.28Trauernd gehe ich einher, ohne wärmende Sonne, / ich stehe auf in der Versammlung, schreie laut.29Den Schakalen wurde ich zum Bruder, / den Straußenhennen zum Freund. (Job 39:13; Isa 13:21; Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39)30Meine Haut ist schwarz, / von Fieberglut brennen meine Knochen. (Ps 119:83; La 3:4)31Zur Trauer wurde mein Harfenspiel, / mein Flötenspiel zum Klagelied.