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1“But now they mock me, those who are younger than I,[#tn Heb “smaller than I for days.”]
whose fathers I disdained too much
to put with my sheep dogs.
2Moreover, the strength of their hands –[#tn The reference is to the fathers of the scorners, who are here regarded as weak and worthless.]
what use was it to me?
Men whose strength had perished;
3gaunt with want and hunger,[#tn This word, גַּלְמוּד (galmud), describes something as lowly, desolate, bare, gaunt like a rock.]
they would gnaw the parched land,
in former time desolate and waste.
4By the brush they would gather herbs from the salt marshes,[#tn Or “the leaves of bushes” (ESV), a possibility dating back to Saadia and discussed by G. R. Driver and G. B. Gray (Job [ICC], 2:209) in their philological notes.; #tn Here too the form is the participle with the article.; #tn Heb “gather mallow,” a plant which grows in salt marshes.]
and the root of the broom tree was their food.
5They were banished from the community –[#tn The word גֵּו (gev) is an Aramaic term meaning “midst,” indicating “midst [of society].” But there is also a Phoenician word that means “community” (DISO 48).]
people shouted at them
like they would shout at thieves –
6so that they had to live[#tn This use of the infinitive construct expresses that they were compelled to do something (see GKC 348-49 §114.h, k).]
in the dry stream beds,
in the holes of the ground, and among the rocks.
7They brayed like animals among the bushes[#tn The verb נָהַק (nahaq) means “to bray.” It has cognates in Arabic, Aramaic, and Ugaritic, so there is no need for emendation here. It is the sign of an animal’s hunger. In the translation the words “like animals” are supplied to clarify the metaphor for the modern reader.]
and were huddled together under the nettles.
8Sons of senseless and nameless people,[#tn The “sons of the senseless” (נָבָל, naval) means they were mentally and morally base and defective; and “sons of no-name” means without honor and respect, worthless (because not named).]
they were driven out of the land with whips.
9“And now I have become their taunt song;
I have become a byword among them.
10They detest me and maintain their distance;[#tn Heb “they are far from me.”]
they do not hesitate to spit in my face.
11Because God has untied my tent cord and afflicted me,[#tn The verb פָּתַח (patakh) means “to untie [or undo]” a rope or bonds. In this verse יִתְרוֹ (yitro, the Kethib, LXX, and Vulgate) would mean “his rope” (see יֶתֶר [yeter] in Judg 16:7-9). The Qere would be יִתְרִי (yitri, “my rope [or cord]”), meaning “me.” The word could mean “rope,” “cord,” or “bowstring.” If the reading “my cord” is accepted, the cord would be something like “my tent cord” (as in Job 29:20), more than K&D 12:147 “cord of life.” This has been followed in the present translation. If it were “my bowstring,” it would give the sense of disablement. If “his cord” is taken, it would signify that the restraint that God had in afflicting Job was loosened – nothing was held back.]
people throw off all restraint in my presence.
12On my right the young rabble rise up;[#tn This Hebrew word occurs only here. The word פִּרְחַח (pirkhakh, “young rabble”) is a quadriliteral, from פָּרַח (parakh, “to bud”) The derivative אֶפְרֹחַ (’efroakh) in the Bible refers to a young bird. In Arabic farhun means both “young bird” and “base man.” Perhaps “young rabble” is the best meaning here (see R. Gordis, Job, 333).]
they drive me from place to place,
and build up siege ramps against me.
13They destroy my path;[#tn This verb נָתְסוּ (natÿsu) is found nowhere else. It is probably a variant of the verb in Job 19:10. R. Gordis (Job, 333-34) notes the Arabic noun natsun (“thorns”), suggesting a denominative idea “they have placed thorns in my path.” Most take it to mean they ruin the way of escape.]
they succeed in destroying me
without anyone assisting them.
14They come in as through a wide breach;
amid the crash they come rolling in.
15Terrors are turned loose on me;[#tn The passive singular verb (Hophal) is used with a plural subject (see GKC 388 §121.b).]
they drive away my honor like the wind,
and like a cloud my deliverance has passed away.
16“And now my soul pours itself out within me;[#tn This line can either mean that Job is wasting away (i.e., his life is being poured out), or it can mean that he is grieving. The second half of the verse gives the subordinate clause of condition for this.]
days of suffering take hold of me.
17Night pierces my bones;[#tn The subject of the verb “pierces” can be the night (personified), or it could be God (understood), leaving “night” to be an adverbial accusative of time – “at night he pierces.”; #tc The MT concludes this half-verse with “upon me.” That phrase is not in the LXX, and so many commentators delete it as making the line too long.]
my gnawing pains never cease.
18With great power God grasps my clothing;[#tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.; #tc This whole verse is difficult. The first problem is that this verb in the MT means “is disguised [or disfigured],” indicating that Job’s clothes hang loose on him. But many take the view that the verb is a phonetic variant of חָבַשׁ (khavash, “to bind; to seize”) and that the Hitpael form is a conflation of the third and second person because of the interchange between them in the passage (R. Gordis, Job, 335). The commentaries list a number of conjectural emendations, but the image in the verse is probably that God seizes Job by the garment and throws him down.]
he binds me like the collar of my tunic.
19He has flung me into the mud,
and I have come to resemble dust and ashes.
20I cry out to you, but you do not answer me;[#sn The implication from the sentence is that this is a cry to God for help. The sudden change from third person (v. 19) to second person (v. 20) is indicative of the intense emotion of the sufferer.]
I stand up, and you only look at me.
21You have become cruel to me;[#tn The idiom uses the Niphal verb “you are turned” with “to cruelty.” See Job 41:20b, as well as Isa 63:10.]
with the strength of your hand you attack me.
22You pick me up on the wind and make me ride on it;[#sn Here Job changes the metaphor again, to the driving storm. God has sent his storms, and Job is blown away.]
you toss me about in the storm.
23I know that you are bringing me to death,[#tn The imperfect verb would be a progressive imperfect, it is future, but it is also already underway.]
to the meeting place for all the living.
24“Surely one does not stretch out his hand
against a broken man
when he cries for help in his distress.
25Have I not wept for the unfortunate?[#tn Heb “for the hard of day.”]
Was not my soul grieved for the poor?
26But when I hoped for good, trouble came;
when I expected light, then darkness came.
27My heart is in turmoil unceasingly;[#tn Heb “my loins,” “my bowels” (archaic), “my innermost being.” The latter option is reflected in the translation; some translations take the inner turmoil to be literal (NIV: “The churning inside me never stops”).; #tn Heb “boils.”; #tn The last clause reads “and they [it] are not quiet” or “do not cease.” The clause then serves adverbially for the sentence – “unceasingly.”]
the days of my affliction confront me.
28I go about blackened, but not by the sun;[#tn The construction uses the word קֹדֵר (qoder) followed by the Piel perfect of הָלַךְ (halakh, “I go about”). The adjective “blackened” refers to Job’s skin that has been marred by the disease. Adjectives are often used before verbs to describe some bodily condition (see GKC 374-75 §118.n).]
in the assembly I stand up and cry for help.
29I have become a brother to jackals
and a companion of ostriches.
30My skin has turned dark on me;[#tn The MT has “become dark from upon me,” prompting some editions to supply the verb “falls from me” (RSV, NRSV), or “peels” (NIV).]
my body is hot with fever.
31My harp is used for mourning[#tn The verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) followed by the preposition ל (lamed) means “to serve the purpose of” (see Gen 1:14ff., 17:7, etc.).]
and my flute for the sound of weeping.