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.

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

2 Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, Men in whom ripe age has perished?

2 גַּם־כֹּ֣חַ יְ֭דֵיהֶם לָ֣מָּה לִּ֑י עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו אָ֣בַד כָּֽלַח׃

3 They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.

3 בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ שֹׁואָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה׃

4 They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom are their food.

4 הַקֹּטְפִ֣ים מַלּ֣וּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂ֑יחַ וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ רְתָמִ֣ים לַחְמָֽם׃

5 They are driven forth from the midst of men; They cry after them as after a thief;

5 מִן־גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו כַּגַּנָּֽב׃

6 So that they dwell in frightful valleys, And in holes of the earth and of the rocks.

6 בַּעֲר֣וּץ נְחָלִ֣ים לִשְׁכֹּ֑ן חֹרֵ֖י עָפָ֣ר וְכֵפִֽים׃

7 Among the bushes they bray; And under the nettles they are gathered together.

7 בֵּין־שִׂיחִ֥ים יִנְהָ֑קוּ תַּ֖חַת חָר֣וּל יְסֻפָּֽחוּ׃

8 They are children of fools, yes, children of base men. They were flogged out of the land.

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

9 "Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.

9 וְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה׃

10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, And don't hesitate to spit in my face.

10 תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי רָ֣חֲקוּ מֶ֑נִּי וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י לֹא־חָ֥שְׂכוּ רֹֽק׃

11 For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; And they have thrown off restraint before me.

11 כִּֽי־ יִתְרֹו יִתְרִ֣י פִ֭תַּח וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן מִפָּנַ֥י שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃

12 On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet, They cast up against me their ways of destruction.

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

13 They mar my path, They set forward my calamity, Without anyone's help.

13 נָתְס֗וּ נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י לְהַוָּתִֽי³ יֹעִ֑ילוּ לֹ֖א עֹזֵ֣ר לָֽמֹו׃

14 As through a wide breach they come, In the midst of the ruin they roll themselves in.

14 כְּפֶ֣רֶץ רָחָ֣ב יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ תַּ֥חַת אָ֗ה הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃

15 Terrors are turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.

15 הָהְפַּ֥ךְ עָלַ֗י בַּלָּ֫הֹ֥ות תִּרְדֹּ֣ף כָּ֭רוּחַ נְדִבָתִ֑י וּ֝כְעָ֗ב עָבְרָ֥ה יְשֻׁעָתִֽי׃

16 "Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold on me.

16 וְעַתָּ֗ה עָ֭לַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ נַפְשִׁ֑י יֹ֖אחֲז֣וּנִי³ יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

17 In the night season my bones are pierced in me, And the pains that gnaw me take no rest.

17 לַ֗יְלָה עֲ֭צָמַי נִקַּ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְ֝עֹרְקַ֗י לֹ֣א יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃

18 By great force is my garment disfigured. It binds me about as the collar of my coat.

18 בְּרָב־כֹּ֖חַ יִתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ לְבוּשִׁ֑י כְּפִ֖י כֻתָּנְתִּ֣י יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי׃

19 He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes.

19 הֹרָ֥נִי לַחֹ֑מֶר וָ֝אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל כֶּעָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃

20 I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.

20 אֲשַׁוַּ֣ע אֵ֭לֶיךָ וְלֹ֣א תַעֲנֵ֑נִי עָ֝מַ֗דְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּ֥נֶן בִּֽי׃

21 You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.

21 תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ לְאַכְזָ֣ר לִ֑י בְּעֹ֖צֶם יָדְךָ֣ תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃

22 You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm.

22 תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי אֶל־ר֖וּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי וּ֝תְמֹגְגֵ֗נִי תְּשֻׁוֶּה תּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃

23 For I know that you will bring me to death, To the house appointed for all living.

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

24 "However doesn't one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?

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

25 Didn't I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn't my soul grieved for the needy?

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

26 When I looked for good, then evil came; When I waited for light, there came darkness.

26 כִּ֤י טֹ֣וב קִ֭וִּיתִי וַיָּ֣בֹא רָ֑ע וַֽאֲיַחֲלָ֥ה לְ֝אֹ֗ור וַיָּ֥בֹא אֹֽפֶל׃

27 My heart is troubled, and doesn't rest. Days of affliction have come on me.

27 מֵעַ֖י רֻתְּח֥וּ וְלֹא־דָ֗מּוּ קִדְּמֻ֥נִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

28 I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.

28 קֹדֵ֣ר הִ֭לַּכְתִּי בְּלֹ֣א חַמָּ֑ה קַ֖מְתִּי בַקָּהָ֣ל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃

29 I am a brother to jackals, And a companion to ostriches.

29 אָ֭ח הָיִ֣יתִי לְתַנִּ֑ים וְ֝רֵ֗עַ לִבְנֹ֥ות יַעֲנָֽה׃

30 My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.

30 עֹ֖ורִי שָׁחַ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְעַצְמִי־חָ֝֗רָה מִנִּי־חֹֽרֶב׃

31 Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, And my pipe into the voice of those who weep.

31 וַיְהִ֣י לְ֭אֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִ֑י וְ֝עֻגָבִ֗י לְקֹ֣ול בֹּכִֽים׃