Job 30:1-10 - Compare All Versions

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“But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs. Of what use was the strength of their hands to me, since their vigor had gone from them? Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed the parched land in desolate wastelands at night. In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food was the root of the broom bush. They were banished from human society, shouted at as if they were thieves. They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. They brayed among the bushes and huddled in the undergrowth. A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land. “And now those young men mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.

“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. What could I gain from the strength of their hands, men whose vigor is gone? Through want and hard hunger they gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation; they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes, and the roots of the broom tree for their food. They are driven out from human company; they shout after them as after a thief. In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell, in holes of the earth and of the rocks. Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they huddle together. A senseless, a nameless brood, they have been whipped out of the land. “And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them. They abhor me; they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me.

“But now I am mocked by people younger than I, by young men whose fathers are not worthy to run with my sheepdogs. A lot of good they are to me— those worn-out wretches! They are gaunt from poverty and hunger. They claw the dry ground in desolate wastelands. They pluck wild greens from among the bushes and eat from the roots of broom trees. They are driven from human society, and people shout at them as if they were thieves. So now they live in frightening ravines, in caves and among the rocks. They sound like animals howling among the bushes, huddled together beneath the nettles. They are nameless fools, outcasts from society. “And now they mock me with vulgar songs! They taunt me! They despise me and won’t come near me, except to spit in my face.

But now they mock   me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to put with my sheep dogs. What use to me was the strength of their hands? Their vigor had left them. Emaciated from poverty and hunger, they gnawed the dry land, the desolate wasteland by night. They plucked mallow  , among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food. They were banished from human society; people shouted at them as if they were thieves. They are living on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. They bray among the shrubs; they huddle beneath the thistles. Foolish  men, without even a name. They were forced to leave the land. Now I am mocked by their songs;  I have become an object of scorn to them. They despise me and keep their distance from me;  they do not hesitate to spit  in my face.

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. Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, In whom old age was perished? For want and famine they were solitary; Fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste. Who cut up mallows by the bushes, And juniper roots for their meat. They were driven forth from among men, (They cried after them as after a thief;) To dwell in the cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks. Among the bushes they brayed; Under the nettles they were gathered together. They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: They were viler than the earth. And now am I their song, Yea, I am their byword. They abhor me, they flee far from me, And spare not to spit in my face.

“But now they mock at me, men younger than I, Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock. Indeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me? Their vigor has perished. They are gaunt from want and famine, Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste, Who pluck mallow by the bushes, And broom tree roots for their food. They were driven out from among men, They shouted at them as at a thief. They had to live in the clefts of the valleys, In caves of the earth and the rocks. Among the bushes they brayed, Under the nettles they nestled. They were sons of fools, Yes, sons of vile men; They were scourged from the land. “And now I am their taunting song; Yes, I am their byword. They abhor me, they keep far from me; They do not hesitate to spit in my face.

“But no longer. Now I’m the butt of their jokes— young thugs! whippersnappers! Why, I considered their fathers mere inexperienced pups. But they are worse than dogs—good for nothing, stray, mangy animals, Half-starved, scavenging the back alleys, howling at the moon; Homeless ragamuffins chewing on old bones and licking old tin cans; Outcasts from the community, cursed as dangerous delinquents. Nobody would put up with them; they were driven from the neighborhood. You could hear them out there at the edge of town, yelping and barking, huddled in junkyards, A gang of beggars and no-names, thrown out on their ears. “But now I’m the one they’re after, mistreating me, taunting and mocking. They abhor me, they abuse me. How dare those scoundrels—they spit in my face! Now that God has undone me and left me in a heap, they hold nothing back. Anything goes. They come at me from my blind side, trip me up, then jump on me while I’m down. They throw every kind of obstacle in my path, determined to ruin me— and no one lifts a finger to help me! They violate my broken body, trample through the rubble of my ruined life. Terrors assault me— my dignity in shreds, salvation up in smoke.

“But now those who are younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I refused to put with the dogs of my flock. “Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them. “From poverty and famine they are gaunt, They who gnaw at the dry ground by night in waste and desolation, Who pluck saltweed by the bushes, And whose food is the root of the broom shrub. “They are driven from the community; They shout against them as against a thief, So that they live on the slopes of ravines, In holes in the ground and among the rocks. “Among the bushes they cry out; Under the weeds they are gathered together. “Worthless fellows, even those without a name, They were cast out from the land. ¶“And now I have become their taunt, And I have become a byword to them. “They loathe me and stand aloof from me, And they do not refrain from spitting in my face.

“But now those younger than I mock and laugh at me, Whose fathers I refused to put with the sheepdogs of my flock. “Indeed, how could the strength of their hands profit me? Vigor had perished from them. “They are gaunt with want and famine; They gnaw the dry and barren ground by night in [the gloom of] waste and desolation. “They pluck [and eat] saltwort (mallows) among the bushes, And their food is the root of the broom shrub. “They are driven from the community; They shout after them as after a thief. “They must dwell on the slopes of wadis And in holes in the ground and in rocks. “Among the bushes they cry out [like wild animals]; Beneath the prickly scrub they gather and huddle together. “They are the sons of [worthless and nameless] fools, They have been driven out of the land. ¶“And now I have become [the subject of] their taunting; Yes, I am a byword and a laughingstock to them. “They hate me, they stand aloof from me, And do not refrain from spitting in my face.

“But now they mock me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I disdained too much to put with my sheep dogs. Moreover, the strength of their hands – what use was it to me? Men whose strength had perished; gaunt with want and hunger, they would gnaw the parched land, in former time desolate and waste. By the brush they would gather herbs from the salt marshes, and the root of the broom tree was their food. They were banished from the community – people shouted at them like they would shout at thieves – so that they had to live in the dry stream beds, in the holes of the ground, and among the rocks. They brayed like animals among the bushes and were huddled together under the nettles. Sons of senseless and nameless people, they were driven out of the land with whips. “And now I have become their taunt song; I have become a byword among them. They detest me and maintain their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.