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¹ But now the younger in time scorn me, whose fathers I would not have set with the dogs of my flock:² The strength of whose hands was to me as nothing, and they were thought unworthy of life itself.³ Barren with want and hunger, who gnawed in the wilderness, disfigured with calamity and misery.⁴ And they ate grass, and barks of trees, and the root of junipers was their food.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 They dwelt in the desert places of torrents, and in caves of earth, or upon the gravel.⁷ They pleased themselves among these kind of things, and counted it delightful to be under the briers.⁸ The children of foolish and base men, and not appearing at all upon the earth.⁹ Now I am turned into their song, and am become their byword.¹⁰ They abhor me, and flee far from me, and are not afraid to spit in my face.¹¹ For he hath opened his quiver, and hath afflicted me, and hath put a bridle into my mouth.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 They have destroyed my ways, they have lain in wait against me, and they have prevailed, and there was none to help.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 I am brought to nothing: as a wind thou hast taken away my desire: and my prosperity hath passed away like a cloud.¹⁶ And now my soul fadeth within myself, and the days of affliction possess me.¹⁷ In the night my bone is pierced with sorrows: and they that feed upon me, do not sleep.¹⁸ With the multitude of them my garment is consumed, and they have girded me about, as with the collar of my coat.¹⁹ I am compared to dirt, and am likened to embers and ashes.²⁰ I cry to thee, and thou hearest me not: I stand up, and thou dost not regard me.²¹ Thou art changed to be cruel toward me, and in the hardness of thy hand thou art against me.²² Thou hast lifted me up, and set me as it were upon the wind, and thou hast mightily dashed me.²³ I know that thou wilt deliver me to death, where a house is appointed for every one that liveth.²⁴ But yet thou stretchest not forth thy hand to their consumption: and if they shall fall down thou wilt save.²⁵ I wept heretofore for him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.²⁶ I expected good things, and evils are come upon me: I waited for light, and darkness broke out.²⁷ My inner parts have boiled without any rest, the days of affliction have prevented me.²⁸ I went mourning without indignation; I rose up, and cried in the crowd.²⁹ I was the brother of dragons, and companion of ostriches.³⁰ My skin is become black upon me, and my bones are dried up with heat.³¹ My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.