| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1"But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs. | 1"But now they mock me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I disdained too much to put with my sheep dogs. |
| 2Of what use was the strength of their hands to me, since their vigor had gone from them? | 2Moreover, the strength of their hands--what use was it to me? Men whose strength had perished; |
| 3Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed the parched land in desolate wastelands at night. | 3gaunt with want and hunger, they would gnaw the parched land, in former time desolate and waste. |
| 4In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food was the root of the broom bush. | 4By the brush they would gather herbs from the salt marshes, and the root of the broom tree was their food. |
| 5They were banished from human society, shouted at as if they were thieves. | 5They were banished from the community--people shouted at them like they would shout at thieves-- |
| 6They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. | 6so that they had to live in the dry stream beds, in the holes of the ground, and among the rocks. |
| 7They brayed among the bushes and huddled in the undergrowth. | 7They brayed like animals among the bushes and were huddled together under the nettles. |
| 8A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land. | 8Sons of senseless and nameless people, they were driven out of the land with whips. |
| 9"And now those young men mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. | 9"And now I have become their taunt song; I have become a byword among them. |
| 10They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face. | 10They detest me and maintain their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face. |
| 11Now that God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they throw off restraint in my presence. | 11Because God has untied my tent cord and afflicted me, people throw off all restraint in my presence. |
| 12On my right the tribe attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege ramps against me. | 12On my right the young rabble rise up; they drive me from place to place, and build up siege ramps against me. |
| 13They break up my road; they succeed in destroying me. 'No one can help him,' they say. | 13They destroy my path; they succeed in destroying me without anyone assisting them. |
| 14They advance as through a gaping breach; amid the ruins they come rolling in. | 14They come in as through a wide breach; amid the crash they come rolling in. |
| 15Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud. | 15Terrors are turned loose on me; they drive away my honor like the wind, and like a cloud my deliverance has passed away. |
| 16"And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me. | 16"And now my soul pours itself out within me; days of suffering take hold of me. |
| 17Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest. | 17Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never cease. |
| 18In his great power God becomes like clothing to me; he binds me like the neck of my garment. | 18With great power God grasps my clothing; he binds me like the collar of my tunic. |
| 19He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes. | 19He has flung me into the mud, and I have come to resemble dust and ashes. |
| 20"I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. | 20I cry out to you, but you do not answer me; I stand up, and you only look at me. |
| 21You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me. | 21You have become cruel to me; with the strength of your hand you attack me. |
| 22You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm. | 22You pick me up on the wind and make me ride on it; you toss me about in the storm. |
| 23I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living. | 23I know that you are bringing me to death, to the meeting place for all the living. |
| 24"Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress. | 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 those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? | 25Have I not wept for the unfortunate? Was not my soul grieved for the poor? |
| 26Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness. | 26But when I hoped for good, trouble came; when I expected light, then darkness came. |
| 27The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me. | 27My heart is in turmoil unceasingly; the days of my affliction confront me. |
| 28I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. | 28I go about blackened, but not by the sun; in the assembly I stand up and cry for help. |
| 29I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls. | 29I have become a brother to jackals and a companion of ostriches. |
| 30My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever. | 30My skin has turned dark on me; my body is hot with fever. |
| 31My lyre is tuned to mourning, and my pipe to the sound of wailing. | 31My harp is used for mourning and my flute for the sound of weeping. |
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