וְעַתָּ֤ה ׀ שָׂ֥חֲק֣וּ עָלַי֮ צְעִירִ֥ים מִמֶּ֗נִּי לְיָ֫מִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַ֥סְתִּי אֲבוֹתָ֑ם לָ֝שִׁ֗ית עִם־כַּלְבֵ֥י צֹאנִֽי׃ But now those younger than I deride me,
[Men] whose fathers I would have disdained to put among my sheep dogs.
גַּם־כֹּ֣חַ יְ֭דֵיהֶם לָ֣מָּה לִּ֑י עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ אָ֣בַד כָּֽלַח׃ Of what use to me is the strength of their hands?
All their vigoraMeaning of Heb. uncertain. is gone.
בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד הַעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ שׁוֹאָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה׃ Wasted from want and starvation,
They flee to a parched land,
To the gloom of desolate wasteland.
הַקֹּטְפִ֣ים מַלּ֣וּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂ֑יחַ וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ רְתָמִ֣ים לַחְמָֽם׃ They pluck saltwort and wormwood;
The roots of broom are their food.
מִן־גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ כַּגַּנָּֽב׃ Driven out aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.from society,-a
They are cried at like a thief.
בַּעֲר֣וּץ נְחָלִ֣ים לִשְׁכֹּ֑ן חֹרֵ֖י עָפָ֣ר וְכֵפִֽים׃ They live in the gullies of wadis,
In holes in the ground, and in rocks,
בֵּין־שִׂיחִ֥ים יִנְהָ֑קוּ תַּ֖חַת חָר֣וּל יְסֻפָּֽחוּ׃ Braying among the bushes,
Huddling among the nettles,
בְּֽנֵי־נָ֭בָל גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י בְלִי־שֵׁ֑ם נִ֝כְּא֗וּ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ Scoundrels, nobodies,
Stricken from the earth.
וְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה׃ Now I am the butt of their gibes;
I have become a byword to them.
תִּ֭עֲבוּנִי רָ֣חֲקוּ מֶ֑נִּי וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י לֹא־חָ֥שְׂכוּ רֹֽק׃ They abhor me; they keep their distance from me;
They do not withhold spittle from my face.
כִּֽי־[יִתְרִ֣י] (יתרו) פִ֭תַּח וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן מִפָּנַ֥י שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃ Because GodbLit. “He.” has disarmedcLit. “loosened my [bow] string.” and humbled me,
They have thrown off restraint in my presence.
עַל־יָמִין֮ פִּרְחַ֢ח יָ֫ק֥וּמוּ רַגְלַ֥י שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ וַיָּסֹ֥לּוּ עָ֝לַ֗י אׇרְח֥וֹת אֵידָֽם׃ Mere striplings assail me at my right hand:
They put me to flight;
They build their roads for my ruin.
נָֽתְס֗וּ נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י לְהַוָּתִ֥י יֹעִ֑ילוּ לֹ֖א עֹזֵ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃ They tear up my path;
They promote my fall,
Although it does them no good.
כְּפֶ֣רֶץ רָחָ֣ב יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ תַּ֥חַת שֹׁ֝אָ֗ה הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃ They come as through a wide breach;
They roll in aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.like raging billows.-a
הׇהְפַּ֥ךְ עָלַ֗י בַּלָּ֫ה֥וֹת תִּרְדֹּ֣ף כָּ֭רוּחַ נְדִבָתִ֑י וּ֝כְעָ֗ב עָבְרָ֥ה יְשֻׁעָתִֽי׃ Terror tumbles upon me;
It sweeps away my honor like the wind;
My dignitydHeb. yeshu‘athi taken as related to shoa‘, “noble.” vanishes like a cloud.
וְעַתָּ֗ה עָ֭לַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ נַפְשִׁ֑י יֹ֖אחֲז֣וּנִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃ So now my life runs out;
Days of misery have taken hold of me.
לַ֗יְלָה עֲ֭צָמַי נִקַּ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְ֝עֹרְקַ֗י לֹ֣א יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃ By night my bones feel gnawed;
My sinews never rest.
בְּרׇב־כֹּ֭חַ יִתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ לְבוּשִׁ֑י כְּפִ֖י כֻתׇּנְתִּ֣י יַאַזְרֵֽנִי׃ aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.With great effort I change clothing;
The neck of my tunic fits my waist.-a
הֹרָ֥נִי לַחֹ֑מֶר וָ֝אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל כֶּעָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃ He regarded me as clay,
I have become like dust and ashes.
אֲשַׁוַּ֣ע אֵ֭לֶיךָ וְלֹ֣א תַֽעֲנֵ֑נִי עָ֝מַ֗דְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּ֥נֶן בִּֽי׃ I cry out to You, but You do not answer me;
I wait, but You do [not] consider me.
תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ לְאַכְזָ֣ר לִ֑י בְּעֹ֖צֶם יָדְךָ֣ תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃ You have become cruel to me;
With Your powerful hand You harass me.
תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי אֶל־ר֭וּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי וּ֝תְמֹגְגֵ֗נִי (תשוה) [תּוּשִׁיָּֽה]׃ You lift me up and mount me on the wind;
You make my courage melt.
כִּֽי־יָ֭דַעְתִּי מָ֣וֶת תְּשִׁיבֵ֑נִי וּבֵ֖ית מוֹעֵ֣ד לְכׇל־חָֽי׃ I know You will bring me to death,
The house assigned for all the living.
אַ֣ךְ לֹֽא־בְ֭עִי יִשְׁלַח־יָ֑ד אִם־בְּ֝פִיד֗וֹ לָהֶ֥ן שֽׁוּעַ׃ aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.Surely He would not strike at a ruin
If, in calamity, one cried out to Him.-a
אִם־לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־י֑וֹם עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ Did I not weep for the unfortunate?
Did I not grieve for the needy?
כִּ֤י ט֣וֹב קִ֭וִּיתִי וַיָּ֣בֹא רָ֑ע וַאֲיַחֲלָ֥ה לְ֝א֗וֹר וַיָּ֥בֹא אֹֽפֶל׃ I looked forward to good fortune, but evil came;
I hoped for light, but darkness came.
מֵעַ֖י רֻתְּח֥וּ וְלֹא־דָ֗מּוּ קִדְּמֻ֥נִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃ My bowels are in turmoil without respite;
Days of misery confront me.
קֹדֵ֣ר הִ֭לַּכְתִּי בְּלֹ֣א חַמָּ֑ה קַ֖מְתִּי בַקָּהָ֣ל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃ I walk about in sunless gloom;
I rise in the assembly and cry out.
אָ֭ח הָיִ֣יתִי לְתַנִּ֑ים וְ֝רֵ֗עַ לִבְנ֥וֹת יַעֲנָֽה׃ I have become a brother to jackals,
A companion to ostriches.
ע֭וֹרִי שָׁחַ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְעַצְמִי־חָ֝֗רָה מִנִּי־חֹֽרֶב׃ My skin, blackened, is peeling off me;
My bones are charred by the heat.
וַיְהִ֣י לְ֭אֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִ֑י וְ֝עֻגָבִ֗י לְק֣וֹל בֹּכִֽים׃ So my lyre is given over to mourning,
My pipe, to accompany weepers.