1 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.

1 וְעַתָּ֤ה׀ שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ עָלַי֮ צְעִירִ֥ים מִמֶּ֗נִּי לְיָ֫מִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַ֥סְתִּי אֲבֹותָ֑ם לָ֝שִׁ֗ית עִם־כַּלְבֵ֥י צֹאנִֽי׃

2 Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?

2 גַּם־כֹּ֣חַ יְ֭דֵיהֶם לָ֣מָּה לִּ֑י עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו אָ֣בַד כָּֽלַח׃

3 For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.

3 בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ שֹׁואָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה׃

4 Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.

4 הַקֹּטְפִ֣ים מַלּ֣וּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂ֑יחַ וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ רְתָמִ֣ים לַחְמָֽם׃

5 They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

5 מִן־גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו כַּגַּנָּֽב׃

6 To dwell in the cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.

6 בַּעֲר֣וּץ נְחָלִ֣ים לִשְׁכֹּ֑ן חֹרֵ֖י עָפָ֣ר וְכֵפִֽים׃

7 Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

7 בֵּין־שִׂיחִ֥ים יִנְהָ֑קוּ תַּ֖חַת חָר֣וּל יְסֻפָּֽחוּ׃

8 They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

8 בְּֽנֵי־נָ֭בָל גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י בְלִי־שֵׁ֑ם נִ֝כְּא֗וּ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

9 And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

9 וְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה׃

10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

10 תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי רָ֣חֲקוּ מֶ֑נִּי וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י לֹא־חָ֥שְׂכוּ רֹֽק׃

11 Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

11 כִּֽי־ יִתְרֹו יִתְרִ֣י פִ֭תַּח וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן מִפָּנַ֥י שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃

12 Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

12 עַל־יָמִין֮ פִּרְחַ֪ח יָ֫ק֥וּמוּ רַגְלַ֥י שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ וַיָּסֹ֥לּוּ עָ֝לַ֗י אָרְחֹ֥ות אֵידָֽם׃

13 They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

13 נָתְס֗וּ נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י לְהַוָּתִֽי³ יֹעִ֑ילוּ לֹ֖א עֹזֵ֣ר לָֽמֹו׃

14 They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

14 כְּפֶ֣רֶץ רָחָ֣ב יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ תַּ֥חַת אָ֗ה הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃

15 Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.

15 הָהְפַּ֥ךְ עָלַ֗י בַּלָּ֫הֹ֥ות תִּרְדֹּ֣ף כָּ֭רוּחַ נְדִבָתִ֑י וּ֝כְעָ֗ב עָבְרָ֥ה יְשֻׁעָתִֽי׃

16 And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

16 וְעַתָּ֗ה עָ֭לַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ נַפְשִׁ֑י יֹ֖אחֲז֣וּנִי³ יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

17 My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

17 לַ֗יְלָה עֲ֭צָמַי נִקַּ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְ֝עֹרְקַ֗י לֹ֣א יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃

18 By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

18 בְּרָב־כֹּ֖חַ יִתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ לְבוּשִׁ֑י כְּפִ֖י כֻתָּנְתִּ֣י יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי׃

19 He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.

19 הֹרָ֥נִי לַחֹ֑מֶר וָ֝אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל כֶּעָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃

20 I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

20 אֲשַׁוַּ֣ע אֵ֭לֶיךָ וְלֹ֣א תַעֲנֵ֑נִי עָ֝מַ֗דְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּ֥נֶן בִּֽי׃

21 Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

21 תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ לְאַכְזָ֣ר לִ֑י בְּעֹ֖צֶם יָדְךָ֣ תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃

22 Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.

22 תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי אֶל־ר֖וּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי וּ֝תְמֹגְגֵ֗נִי תְּשֻׁוֶּה תּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃

23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

23 כִּֽי־יָ֭דַעְתִּי מָ֣וֶת תְּשִׁיבֵ֑נִי וּבֵ֖ית מֹועֵ֣ד לְכָל־חָֽי׃

24 Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.

24 אַ֣ךְ לֹא־בְ֭עִי יִשְׁלַח־יָ֑ד אִם־בְּ֝פִידֹ֗ו לָהֶ֥ן שֽׁוּעַ׃

25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

25 אִם־לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־יֹ֑ום עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י לָאֶבְיֹֽון׃

26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

26 כִּ֤י טֹ֣וב קִ֭וִּיתִי וַיָּ֣בֹא רָ֑ע וַֽאֲיַחֲלָ֥ה לְ֝אֹ֗ור וַיָּ֥בֹא אֹֽפֶל׃

27 My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

27 מֵעַ֖י רֻתְּח֥וּ וְלֹא־דָ֗מּוּ קִדְּמֻ֥נִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

28 I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.

28 קֹדֵ֣ר הִ֭לַּכְתִּי בְּלֹ֣א חַמָּ֑ה קַ֖מְתִּי בַקָּהָ֣ל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃

29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

29 אָ֭ח הָיִ֣יתִי לְתַנִּ֑ים וְ֝רֵ֗עַ לִבְנֹ֥ות יַעֲנָֽה׃

30 My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

30 עֹ֖ורִי שָׁחַ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְעַצְמִי־חָ֝֗רָה מִנִּי־חֹֽרֶב׃

31 My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

31 וַיְהִ֣י לְ֭אֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִ֑י וְ֝עֻגָבִ֗י לְקֹ֣ול בֹּכִֽים׃