1 וְעַתָּה ׀ שָׂחֲקוּ עָלַי צְעִירִים מִמֶּנִּי לְיָמִים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַסְתִּי אֲבֹותָם לָשִׁית עִם־כַּלְבֵי צֹאנִי | 1 But now the younger in time scorn me, whose fathers I would not have set with the dogs of my flock: |
2 גַּם־כֹּחַ יְדֵיהֶם לָמָּה לִּי עָלֵימֹו אָבַד כָּלַח | 2 The strength of whose hands was to me as nothing, and they were thought unworthy of life itself. |
3 בְּחֶסֶר וּבְכָפָן גַּלְמוּד הַעֹרְקִים צִיָּה אֶמֶשׁ שֹׁואָה וּמְשֹׁאָה | 3 Barren with want and hunger, who gnawed in the wilderness, disfigured with calamity and misery. |
4 הַקֹּטְפִים מַלּוּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂיחַ וְשֹׁרֶשׁ רְתָמִים לַחְמָם | 4 And they ate grass, and barks of trees, and the root of junipers was their food. |
5 מִן־גֵּו יְגֹרָשׁוּ יָרִיעוּ עָלֵימֹו כַּגַּנָּב | 5 Who snatched up these things out of the valleys, and when they had found any of them, they ran to them with a cry. |
6 בַּעֲרוּץ נְחָלִים לִשְׁכֹּן חֹרֵי עָפָר וְכֵפִים | 6 They dwelt in the desert places of torrents, and in caves of earth, or upon the gravel. |
7 בֵּין־שִׂיחִים יִנְהָקוּ תַּחַת חָרוּל יְסֻפָּחוּ | 7 They pleased themselves among these kind of things, and counted it delightful to be under the briers. |
8 בְּנֵי־נָבָל גַּם־בְּנֵי בְלִי־שֵׁם נִכְּאוּ מִן־הָאָרֶץ | 8 The children of foolish and base men, and not appearing at all upon the earth. |
9 וְעַתָּה נְגִינָתָם הָיִיתִי וָאֱהִי לָהֶם לְמִלָּה | 9 Now I am turned into their song, and am become their byword. |
10 תִּעֲבוּנִי רָחֲקוּ מֶנִּי וּמִפָּנַי לֹא־חָשְׂכוּ רֹק | 10 They abhor me, and flee far from me, and are not afraid to spit in my face. |
11 כִּי־ [יִתְרֹו כ] (יִתְרִי ק) פִתַּח וַיְעַנֵּנִי וְרֶסֶן מִפָּנַי שִׁלֵּחוּ | 11 For he hath opened his quiver, and hath afflicted me, and hath put a bridle into my mouth. |
12 עַל־יָמִין פִּרְחַח יָקוּמוּ רַגְלַי שִׁלֵּחוּ וַיָּסֹלּוּ עָלַי אָרְחֹות אֵידָם | 12 At the right hand of my rising, my calamities forthwith arose: they have overthrown my feet, and have overwhelmed me with their paths as with waves. |
13 נָתְסוּ נְתִיבָתִי לְהַוָּתִי יֹעִילוּ לֹא עֹזֵר לָמֹו | 13 They have destroyed my ways, they have lain in wait against me, and they have prevailed, and there was none to help. |
14 כְּפֶרֶץ רָחָב יֶאֱתָיוּ תַּחַת אָה הִתְגַּלְגָּלוּ | 14 They have rushed in upon me, as when a wall is broken, and a gate opened, and have rolled themselves down to my miseries. |
15 הָהְפַּךְ עָלַי בַּלָּהֹות תִּרְדֹּף כָּרוּחַ נְדִבָתִי וּכְעָב עָבְרָה יְשֻׁעָתִי | 15 I am brought to nothing: as a wind thou hast taken away my desire: and my prosperity hath passed away like a cloud. |
16 וְעַתָּה עָלַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּךְ נַפְשִׁי יֹאחֲזוּנִי יְמֵי־עֹנִי | 16 And now my soul fadeth within myself, and the days of affliction possess me. |
17 לַיְלָה עֲצָמַי נִקַּר מֵעָלָי וְעֹרְקַי לֹא יִשְׁכָּבוּן | 17 In the night my bone is pierced with sorrows: and they that feed upon me, do not sleep. |
18 בְּרָב־כֹּחַ יִתְחַפֵּשׂ לְבוּשִׁי כְּפִי כֻתָּנְתִּי יַאַזְרֵנִי | 18 With the multitude of them my garment is consumed, and they have girded me about, as with the collar of my coat. |
19 הֹרָנִי לַחֹמֶר וָאֶתְמַשֵּׁל כֶּעָפָר וָאֵפֶר | 19 I am compared to dirt, and am likened to embers and ashes. |
20 אֲשַׁוַּע אֵלֶיךָ וְלֹא תַעֲנֵנִי עָמַדְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּנֶן בִּי | 20 I cry to thee, and thou hearest me not: I stand up, and thou dost not regard me. |
21 תֵּהָפֵךְ לְאַכְזָר לִי בְּעֹצֶם יָדְךָ תִשְׂטְמֵנִי | 21 Thou art changed to be cruel toward me, and in the hardness of thy hand thou art against me. |
22 תִּשָּׂאֵנִי אֶל־רוּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵנִי וּתְמֹגְגֵנִי [תְּשֻׁוֶּה כ] (תּוּשִׁיָּה׃ ק) | 22 Thou hast lifted me up, and set me as it were upon the wind, and thou hast mightily dashed me. |
23 כִּי־יָדַעְתִּי מָוֶת תְּשִׁיבֵנִי וּבֵית מֹועֵד לְכָל־חָי | 23 I know that thou wilt deliver me to death, where a house is appointed for every one that liveth. |
24 אַךְ לֹא־בְעִי יִשְׁלַח־יָד אִם־בְּפִידֹו לָהֶן שׁוּעַ | 24 But yet thou stretchest not forth thy hand to their consumption: and if they shall fall down thou wilt save. |
25 אִם־לֹא בָכִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־יֹום עָגְמָה נַפְשִׁי לָאֶבְיֹון | 25 I wept heretofore for him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor. |
26 כִּי טֹוב קִוִּיתִי וַיָּבֹא רָע וַאֲיַחֲלָה לְאֹור וַיָּבֹא אֹפֶל | 26 I expected good things, and evils are come upon me: I waited for light, and darkness broke out. |
27 מֵעַי רֻתְּחוּ וְלֹא־דָמּוּ קִדְּמֻנִי יְמֵי־עֹנִי | 27 My inner parts have boiled without any rest, the days of affliction have prevented me. |
28 קֹדֵר הִלַּכְתִּי בְּלֹא חַמָּה קַמְתִּי בַקָּהָל אֲשַׁוֵּעַ | 28 I went mourning without indignation; I rose up, and cried in the crowd. |
29 אָח הָיִיתִי לְתַנִּים וְרֵעַ לִבְנֹות יַעֲנָה | 29 I was the brother of dragons, and companion of ostriches. |
30 עֹורִי שָׁחַר מֵעָלָי וְעַצְמִי־חָרָה מִנִּי־חֹרֶב | 30 My skin is become black upon me, and my bones are dried up with heat. |
31 וַיְהִי לְאֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִי וְעֻגָבִי לְקֹול בֹּכִים | 31 My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep. |