Job’s Honor Turned to Contempt

1  וְעַתָּ֤ה׀ (And now) שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ (they laugh) עָלַי֮ (at me),

צְעִירִ֥ים (the fewer) מִמֶּ֗נִּי (than I) לְיָ֫מִ֥ים (in days),

אֲשֶׁר־ (of whom) מָאַ֥סְתִּי (I disdained) אֲבוֹתָ֑ם (their fathers)

לָ֝שִׁ֗ית (to put) עִם־ (with) כַּלְבֵ֥י (the dogs) צֹאנִֽי׃ (of my flock).

2  גַּם־ (Indeed), כֹּ֣חַ (the power) יְ֭דֵיהֶם (of their hands)

לָ֣מָּה (what is it) לִּ֑י (to me)?

עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ (Upon them) אָ֣בַד (has perished) כָּֽלַח׃ (vigor).

3  בְּחֶ֥סֶר (In poverty) וּבְכָפָ֗ן (and in hunger) גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד (harsh),

הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים (ones gnawing) צִיָּ֑ה (the dry ground) אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ (by night),

שׁוֹאָ֥ה (in ruin) וּמְשֹׁאָֽה׃ (and desolation).

4  הַקֹּטְפִ֣ים (They are plucking) מַלּ֣וּחַ (saltwort) עֲלֵי־ (among) שִׂ֑יחַ (the brush),

וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ (and the root) רְתָמִ֣ים (of the broom tree) לַחְמָֽם׃ (is their bread).

5  מִן־ (From) גֵּ֥ו (the midst of people) יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ (they are driven out);

יָרִ֥יעוּ (they shout) עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ (at them) כַּגַּנָּֽב׃ (as a thief)—

6  בַּעֲר֣וּץ (on the slope) נְחָלִ֣ים (of wadis) לִשְׁכֹּ֑ן (they are to dwell),

חֹרֵ֖י (in holes) עָפָ֣ר (of the dust) וְכֵפִֽים׃ (and rocks).

7  בֵּין־ (Among) שִׂיחִ֥ים (the shrubs) יִנְהָ֑קוּ (they bray);

תַּ֖חַת (under) חָר֣וּל (the nettles) יְסֻפָּֽחוּ׃ (they huddle together).

8  בְּֽנֵי־ (Sons) נָ֭בָל (of a fool), גַּם־ (even) בְּנֵ֣י (sons) בְלִי־ (without) שֵׁ֑ם (a name),

נִ֝כְּא֗וּ (they were scourged) מִן־ (from) הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (the land).

9  וְ֭עַתָּה (And now) נְגִינָתָ֣ם (their song) הָיִ֑יתִי (I have become),

וָאֱהִ֖י (and I have become) לָהֶ֣ם (among them) לְמִלָּֽה׃ (a byword).

10  תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי (They abhor me), רָ֣חֲקוּ (and keep far) מֶ֑נִּי (from me),

וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י (and in my face) לֹא־ (not) חָ֥שְׂכוּ (do they withhold) רֹֽק׃ (spit),

11  כִּֽי־ (For) יִתְרוֹ (my bowstring) פִ֭תַּח (he has loosed) וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי (and afflicted me),

וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן (and the bridle) מִפָּנַ֥י (before me) שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃ (they have cast off).

12  עַל־ (On) יָמִין֮ (the right) פִּרְחַ֪ח (a brood) יָ֫ק֥וּמוּ (arises);

רַגְלַ֥י (my feet) שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ (they push away),

וַיָּסֹ֥לּוּ (and they build up) עָ֝לַ֗י (against me) אָרְח֥וֹת (the ways) אֵידָֽם׃ (of destruction).

13  נָתְס֗וּ (They break up) נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י (my path),

לְהַוָּתִ֥י (my calamity) יֹעִ֑ילוּ (they advance);

לֹ֖א (with no one) עֹזֵ֣ר (helping) לָֽמוֹ׃ (them).

14  כְּפֶ֣רֶץ (As a breach) רָחָ֣ב (wide) יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ (they come);

תַּ֥חַת (amid) שֹׁ֝אָ֗ה (the ruin) הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃ (they roll on).

Job’s Prosperity Becomes Calamity

15  הָהְפַּ֥ךְ (Are turned over) עָלַ֗י (upon me) בַּלָּ֫ה֥וֹת (terrors);

תִּרְדֹּ֣ף (it pursues) כָּ֭רוּחַ (like the wind) נְדִבָתִ֑י (my honor),

וּ֝כְעָ֗ב (and like a cloud) עָבְרָ֥ה (has passed away) יְשֻׁעָתִֽי׃ (my deliverance).

16  וְעַתָּ֗ה (And now) עָ֭לַי (within me) תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ (is poured out) נַפְשִׁ֑י (my soul);

יֹ֭אחֲז֣וּנִי (seize me) יְמֵי־ (the days) עֹֽנִי׃ (of affliction).

17  לַ֗יְלָה (Night) עֲ֭צָמַי (my bones) נִקַּ֣ר (pierces) מֵעָלָ֑י (from upon me),

וְ֝עֹרְקַ֗י (and my gnawing pains) לֹ֣א (not) יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃ (will lie down).

18  בְּרָב־ (With abundance) כֹּ֭חַ (of strength) יִתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ (is disfigured) לְבוּשִׁ֑י (my garment);

כְּפִ֖י (by the collar) כֻתָּנְתִּ֣י (of my tunic) יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי׃ (He seizes me).

19  הֹרָ֥נִי (He has cast me) לַחֹ֑מֶר (into the mire),

וָ֝אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל (and I have become) כֶּעָפָ֥ר (like the dust) וָאֵֽפֶר׃ (and ashes).

20  אֲשַׁוַּ֣ע (I cry out) אֵ֭לֶיךָ (to You), וְלֹ֣א (not) תַעֲנֵ֑נִי (do You answer me);

עָ֝מַ֗דְתִּי (I stand up), וַתִּתְבֹּ֥נֶן (and You gaze) בִּֽי׃ (at me).

21  תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ (You have turned) לְאַכְזָ֣ר (to be cruel) לִ֑י (to me);

בְּעֹ֖צֶם (with the strength) יָדְךָ֣ (of Your hand) תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃ (You oppose me).

22  תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי (You lift me up) אֶל־ (to) ר֭וּחַ (the wind)

תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי (and make me ride it),

וּ֝תְמֹגְגֵ֗נִי (You toss me about) תְּשֻׁוֶּה׃ (in the storm).

23  כִּֽי־ (For) יָ֭דַעְתִּי (I know that) מָ֣וֶת (to death) תְּשִׁיבֵ֑נִי (You will bring me),

וּבֵ֖ית (and to the house) מוֹעֵ֣ד (of appointment) לְכָל־ (to all) חָֽי׃ (the living).

24  אַ֣ךְ (Surely) לֹא־ (not) בְ֭עִי (against the oppressed) יִשְׁלַח־ (does one stretch out) יָ֑ד (the hand),

אִם־ (if) בְּ֝פִיד֗וֹ (in his ruin) לָהֶ֥ן (to him) שֽׁוּעַ׃ (he cries out).

25  אִם־ (If) לֹ֣א (not) בָ֭כִיתִי (did I weep) לִקְשֵׁה־ (for the harshness) י֑וֹם (of day)?

עָֽגְמָ֥ה (And grieved) נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י (my soul) לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ (for the needy one)?

26  כִּ֤י (And) ט֣וֹב (good) קִ֭וִּיתִי (I hoped for), וַיָּ֣בֹא (and came) רָ֑ע (evil),

וַֽאֲיַחֲלָ֥ה (and I waited) לְ֝א֗וֹר (for light), וַיָּ֥בֹא (and came) אֹֽפֶל׃ (darkness).

27  מֵעַ֖י (My bowels) רֻתְּח֥וּ (have boiled) וְלֹא־ (and not) דָ֗מּוּ (can they rest);

קִדְּמֻ֥נִי (confront me) יְמֵי־ (days) עֹֽנִי׃ (of affliction).

28  קֹדֵ֣ר (Mourning) הִ֭לַּכְתִּי (I go about), בְּלֹ֣א (not by) חַמָּ֑ה (the sun);

קַ֖מְתִּי (I rise up) בַקָּהָ֣ל (in the assembly)— אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃ (and cry out).

29  אָ֭ח (A brother) הָיִ֣יתִי (I have become) לְתַנִּ֑ים (to jackals),

וְ֝רֵ֗עַ (and a companion) לִבְנ֥וֹת (to the daughters) יַעֲנָֽה׃ (of the ostrich).

30  ע֭וֹרִי (My skin) שָׁחַ֣ר (turns black) מֵעָלָ֑י (and falls from me),

וְעַצְמִי־ (and my bone) חָ֝֗רָה (burns) מִנִּי־ (with) חֹֽרֶב׃ (heat).

31  וַיְהִ֣י (And is changed) לְ֭אֵבֶל (to mourning) כִּנֹּרִ֑י (my harp),

וְ֝עֻגָבִ֗י (and my flute) לְק֣וֹל (to the voice) בֹּכִֽים׃ (of weeping).