Job 30:3-26
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 30
3From poverty and famine they are gaunt, They who gnaw at the dry ground by night in waste and desolation, 4Who pluck saltweed by the bushes, And whose food is the root of the broom shrub. 5They are driven from the community; They shout against them as against a thief, 6So that they live on the slopes of ravines, In holes in the ground and among the rocks. 7Among the bushes they cry out; Under the weeds they are gathered together. 8Worthless fellows, even those without a name, They were cast out from the land. 9'And now I have become their taunt, And I have become a byword to them. 10They loathe me and stand aloof from me, And they do not refrain from spitting in my face. 11Because He has undone my bowstring and afflicted me, They have cast off the bridle before me. 12On the right hand their mob arises; They push aside my feet and pile up their ways of destruction against me. 13They break up my path, They promote my destruction; No one restrains them. 14As through a wide gap they come, Amid the storm they roll on. 15Sudden terrors are turned upon me; They chase away my dignity like the wind, And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. 16'And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of misery have seized me. 17At night it pierces my bones within me, And my gnawing pains do not rest. 18By a great force my garment is distorted; It ties me up like the collar of my coat. 19He has thrown me into the mire, And I have become like dust and ashes. 20I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. 21You have become cruel to me; With the strength of Your hand You persecute me. 22You lift me up to the wind and make me ride it; And You dissolve me in a storm. 23For I know that You will bring me to death, And to the house of meeting for all living. 24'Yet does one in a heap of ruins not reach out with his hand, Or in his disaster does he not cry out for help? 25Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was my soul not grieved for the needy? 26When I expected good, evil came; When I waited for light, darkness came.King James Version
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.
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.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 30
3Emaciated from poverty and hunger, they gnawed the dry land, the desolate wasteland by night. 4They plucked mallow among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food. 5They were banished from human society; people shouted at them as if they were thieves. 6They are living on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. 7They bray among the shrubs; they huddle beneath the thistles.
8Foolish men, without even a name. They were forced to leave the land.
9Now I am mocked by their songs; I have become an object of scorn to them.
10They despise me and keep their distance from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.
11Because God has loosened my bowstring and oppressed me, they have cast off restraint in my presence.
12The rabble rise up at my right; they trap my feet and construct their siege ramp against me.
13They tear up my path; they contribute to my destruction, without anyone to help them.
14They advance as through a gaping breach; they keep rolling in through the ruins.
15Terrors are turned loose against me; they chase my dignity away like the wind, and my prosperity has passed by like a cloud.
16Now my life is poured out before me, and days of suffering have seized me.
17Night pierces my bones, but my gnawing pains never rest.
18My clothing is distorted with great force; he chokes me by the neck of my garment.
19He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes.
20I cry out to you for help, but you do not answer me; when I stand up, you merely look at me.
21You have turned against me with cruelty; you harass me with your strong hand.
22You lift me up on the wind and make me ride it; you scatter me in the storm.
23Yes, I know that you will lead me to death— the place appointed for all who live.
24Yet no one would stretch out his hand against a ruined person when he cries out to him for help because of his distress.
25Have I not wept for those who have fallen on hard times? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?
26But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness came.
New Living Translation
Chapter 30
3They are gaunt from poverty and hunger. They claw the dry ground in desolate wastelands. 4They pluck wild greens from among the bushes and eat from the roots of broom trees. 5They are driven from human society, and people shout at them as if they were thieves. 6So now they live in frightening ravines, in caves and among the rocks. 7They sound like animals howling among the bushes, huddled together beneath the nettles. 8They are nameless fools, outcasts from society.
9'And now they mock me with vulgar songs! They taunt me!
10They despise me and won’t come near me, except to spit in my face.
11For God has cut my bowstring. He has humbled me, so they have thrown off all restraint.
12These outcasts oppose me to my face. They send me sprawling and lay traps in my path.
13They block my road and do everything they can to destroy me. They know I have no one to help me.
14They come at me from all directions. They jump on me when I am down.
15I live in terror now. My honor has blown away in the wind, and my prosperity has vanished like a cloud.
16'And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days.
17At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly.
18With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt. He grips me by the collar of my coat.
19He has thrown me into the mud. I’m nothing more than dust and ashes.
20'I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look.
21You have become cruel toward me. You use your power to persecute me.
22You throw me into the whirlwind and destroy me in the storm.
23And I know you are sending me to my death — the destination of all who live.
English Standard Version
Chapter 30
3Through want and hard hunger they gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation; 4they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes, and the roots of the broom tree for their food. 5 They are driven out from human company; they shout after them as after a thief. 6In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell, in holes of the earth and of the rocks. 7Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they huddle together. 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. 10They abhor me; they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me. 11Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me, they have cast off restraint in my presence. 12On my right hand the rabble rise; they push away my feet; they cast up against me their ways of destruction. 13They break up my path; they promote my calamity; they need no one to help them. 14As through a wide breach they come; amid the crash they roll on. 15 Terrors are turned upon me; my honor is pursued as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. 16"And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me. 17 The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest. 18With great force my garment is disfigured; it binds me about like the collar of my tunic. 19God has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. 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. 22 You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm. 23 For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living. 24"Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand, and in his disaster cry for help? 25Did not I weep for him whose day was hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy? 26But when I hoped for good, evil came, and when I waited for light, darkness came.New International Version
Chapter 30
3Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed the parched land in desolate wastelands at night. 4In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food 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 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 ; 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.
New King James Version
