1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.2 Yea, whereto {should} the strength of their hands {profit} me, {men} in whom vigour hath perished?3 Withered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert:4 They gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food.5 They are driven forth from among {men} -they cry after them as after a thief-6 To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:7 They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:8 Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.9 And now I am their song, yea, I am their byword.10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, yea, they spare not to spit in my face.11 For he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me; so they cast off the bridle before me.12 At {my} right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;13 They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, without any to help them;14 They come in as through a wide breach: amid the confusion they roll themselves onward.15 Terrors are turned against me; they pursue mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away like a cloud.16 And now my soul is poured out in me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.17 The night pierceth through my bones {and detacheth them} from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:18 By their great force they have become my raiment; they bind me about as the collar of my coat.19 He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.20 I cry unto thee, and thou answerest me not; I stand up, and thou lookest at me.21 Thou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.22 Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to be borne away, and dissolvest my substance.23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and into the house of assemblage for all living.24 Indeed, no prayer {availeth} when he stretcheth out {his} hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.25 Did not I weep for him whose days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy?26 For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.27 My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.29 I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches.30 My skin is become black {and falleth} off me, and my bones are parched with heat.31 My harp also is {turned} to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.

1 En nou lag hulle wat jonger is as ek, my uit -- mense wie se vaders ek te min geag het om by my herdershonde te sit.2 Wat sou die krag van hulle hande my ook baat? Die frisse lewenskrag het by hulle verlore gegaan.3 Hulle is uitgeput deur gebrek en honger, hulle wat die dor land afknaag in die donkerheid van woestheid en verwoesting;4 hulle wat die soutkruid afpluk by die bossies, en die besemboswortel is hulle brood.5 Uit die samelewing word hulle weggejaag; die mense skreeu oor hulle soos oor 'n dief.6 In die afgryslike klowe moet hulle woon, in gate in die grond en in rotse.7 Tussen die bossies skreeu hulle, onder brandnekels kruip hulle bymekaar --8 dwase, ja, eerlose mense wat met 'n sweep uit die land geslaan word.9 En nou het ek hulle spotlied geword en die onderwerp van hulle gepraat.10 Hulle het 'n afsku van my, staan op 'n afstand van my af en ontsien nie om my in die gesig te spuug nie.11 Want Hy het my boogsnaar losgemaak en my verneder; so het hulle dan teenoor my die teuel laat skiet.12 Aan die regterhand staan die gespuis op; hulle stoot my voete weg en gooi hul onheilspaaie teen my op.13 My pad verniel hulle, hulle help om my te laat val sonder dat hulle self 'n helper het.14 Soos deur 'n wye bres kom hulle; te midde van die puinhope kom hulle aanrol.15 Verskrikkinge is teen my gerig; hulle vervolg my hoogheid soos die wind, en soos 'n wolk het my geluk verbygegaan.16 Daarom stort my siel hom nou uit in my; dae van ellende hou my vas.17 Die nag deurboor my gebeente, en dit val van my af; en my knaende pyne rus nooit nie.18 Deur goddelike oormag is my kleed ontredder; soos die kraag van my lyfrok omspan dit my.19 Hy het my in die modder gewerp, en ek het soos stof en as geword.20 Ek roep U aan om hulp, maar U antwoord my nie; ek staan daar, en U staar my aan.21 U is jeens my verander in 'n onbarmhartige; deur die sterkte van u hand behandel U my as vyand.22 U hef my op die wind, laat my daarop ry; en U laat my vergaan in stormgedruis.23 Want ek weet: U wil my na die dood toe bring en na die huis waar al wat lewe, saamkom.24 Maar sal iemand by die ineenstorting nie nog die hand uitsteek of by sy ondergang om die rede om hulp roep nie?25 Of het ek nie geween oor hom wat harde dae het nie? Was my siel nie bekommerd oor die behoeftige nie?26 Want ek het op die goeie gehoop, en onheil het gekom; en ek het gewag op lig, en donkerheid het gekom.27 My ingewande kook sonder ophou; dae van ellende het my teëgekom.28 Ek gaan daarheen in die rou, sonder son; ek staan op in die vergadering, ek roep om hulp.29 Ek het 'n broer geword vir die jakkalse en 'n vriend vir die volstruise.30 My vel het swart geword en val van my af, en my gebeente gloei van hitte.31 So het dan my siter 'n rouklag geword en my fluit 'n stem van die wat ween.