1“But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
2Yes, the strength of their hands, why is it on me? Men in whom ripe age is perished.
3They are gaunt with want and famine; they gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of wasteness and desolation.
4They pluck salt-wort with wormwood; and the roots of the broom are their food.
5They are driven forth from the midst of men; they cry after them as after a thief.
6In the clefts of the valleys must they dwell, in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
7Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they are gathered together.
8They are children of fools, yes, children of ignoble men; they were scourged out of the land.
9And now I am become their song, yes, I am a byword unto them.
10They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
11For He has loosed my cord, and afflicted me, and they have cast off the bridle before me.
12Upon my right hand rise the brood; they entangle my feet, and they cast up against me their ways of destruction.
13They break up my path, they further my calamity, even men that have no helper.
14As through a wide breach they come; in the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me.
15Terrors are turned upon me, they chase my honor as the wind; and my welfare is passed away as a cloud.
16And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
17In the night my bones are pierced, and fall from me, and my sinews take no rest.
18By the great force [of my disease] is my garment disfigured; it binds me about as the collar of my coat.
19He has cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.
20I cry unto You, and You do not answer me; I stand up, and You look at me.
21You are turned to be cruel to me; with the might of Your hand You hate me.
22You lift me up to the wind, You cause me to ride upon it; and You dissolve my substance.
23For I know that You will bring me to death, and to Beit Mo’ed for all the living.
24Surely none shall put forth his hand to a ruinous heap, neither because of these things shall help come in one’s calamity,
25If I have not wept for him that was in trouble, and if my soul grieved not for the needy.
26Yet, when I looked for good, there came evil; and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
27My inwards boil, and rest not; days of affliction are come upon me.
28I go mourning without the sun; I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
29I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
30My skin is black, and falls from me, and my bones are burned with heat.
31Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of them that weep.”
אוְעַתָּה שָׂחֲקוּ עָלַי צְעִירִים מִמֶּנִּי לְיָמִים: אֲשֶׁר מָאַסְתִּי אֲבוֹתָם לָשִׁית עִם כַּלְבֵי צֹאנִי.
בגַּם כֹּחַ יְדֵיהֶם לָמָּה לִּי; עָלֵימוֹ אָבַד כָּלַח.
גבְּחֶסֶר וּבְכָפָן גַּלְמוּד: הַעֹרְקִים צִיָּה אֶמֶשׁ שׁוֹאָה וּמְשֹׁאָה.
דהַקֹּטְפִים מַלּוּחַ עֲלֵי שִׂיחַ; וְשֹׁרֶשׁ רְתָמִים לַחְמָם.
המִן גֵּו יְגֹרָשׁוּ; יָרִיעוּ עָלֵימוֹ כַּגַּנָּב.
ובַּעֲרוּץ נְחָלִים לִשְׁכֹּן; חֹרֵי עָפָר וְכֵפִים.
זבֵּין שִׂיחִים יִנְהָקוּ; תַּחַת חָרוּל יְסֻפָּחוּ.
חבְּנֵי נָבָל גַּם בְּנֵי בְלִי שֵׁם נִכְּאוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ.
טוְעַתָּה נְגִינָתָם הָיִיתִי; וָאֱהִי לָהֶם לְמִלָּה.
יתִּעֲבוּנִי רָחֲקוּ מֶנִּי; וּמִפָּנַי לֹא חָשְׂכוּ רֹק.
יאכִּי יתרו (יִתְרִי) פִתַּח וַיְעַנֵּנִי; וְרֶסֶן מִפָּנַי שִׁלֵּחוּ.
יבעַל יָמִין פִּרְחַח יָקוּמוּ: רַגְלַי שִׁלֵּחוּ; וַיָּסֹלּוּ עָלַי אָרְחוֹת אֵידָם.
יגנָתְסוּ נְתִיבָתִי: לְהַוָּתִי יֹעִילוּ; לֹא עֹזֵר לָמוֹ.
ידכְּפֶרֶץ רָחָב יֶאֱתָיוּ; תַּחַת שֹׁאָה הִתְגַּלְגָּלוּ.
טוהָהְפַּךְ עָלַי בַּלָּהוֹת: תִּרְדֹּף כָּרוּחַ נְדִבָתִי; וּכְעָב עָבְרָה יְשֻׁעָתִי.
טזוְעַתָּה עָלַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּךְ נַפְשִׁי; יֹאחֲזוּנִי יְמֵי עֹנִי.
יזלַיְלָה עֲצָמַי נִקַּר מֵעָלָי; וְעֹרְקַי לֹא יִשְׁכָּבוּן.
יחבְּרָב כֹּחַ יִתְחַפֵּשׂ לְבוּשִׁי; כְּפִי כֻתָּנְתִּי יַאַזְרֵנִי.
יטהֹרָנִי לַחֹמֶר; וָאֶתְמַשֵּׁל כֶּעָפָר וָאֵפֶר.
כאֲשַׁוַּע אֵלֶיךָ וְלֹא תַעֲנֵנִי; עָמַדְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּנֶן בִּי.
כאתֵּהָפֵךְ לְאַכְזָר לִי; בְּעֹצֶם יָדְךָ תִשְׂטְמֵנִי.
כבתִּשָּׂאֵנִי אֶל רוּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵנִי; וּתְמֹגְגֵנִי תשוה (תֻּשִׁיָּה).
כגכִּי יָדַעְתִּי מָוֶת תְּשִׁיבֵנִי; וּבֵית מוֹעֵד לְכָל חָי.
כדאַךְ לֹא בְעִי יִשְׁלַח יָד; אִם בְּפִידוֹ לָהֶן שׁוּעַ.
כהאִם לֹא בָכִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה יוֹם; עָגְמָה נַפְשִׁי לָאֶבְיוֹן.
כוכִּי טוֹב קִוִּיתִי וַיָּבֹא רָע; וַאֲיַחֲלָה לְאוֹר וַיָּבֹא אֹפֶל.
כזמֵעַי רֻתְּחוּ וְלֹא דָמּוּ; קִדְּמֻנִי יְמֵי עֹנִי.
כחקֹדֵר הִלַּכְתִּי בְּלֹא חַמָּה; קַמְתִּי בַקָּהָל אֲשַׁוֵּעַ.
כטאָח הָיִיתִי לְתַנִּים; וְרֵעַ לִבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה.
לעוֹרִי שָׁחַר מֵעָלָי; וְעַצְמִי חָרָה מִנִּי חֹרֶב.
לאוַיְהִי לְאֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִי; וְעֻגָבִי לְקוֹל בֹּכִים.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 