Job 30

1“Mas ahora se ríen de mí los que tienen menos años que yo, a cuyos padres yo hubiera desdeñado de tomar como perros para mi ganado.

2Aun la fuerza de sus manos ¿de qué me habría servido? ya que carecen ellos de todo vigor.

3Muertos de miseria y de hambre roen el yermo, la tierra desolada y vacía.

4Recogen frutos amargos de arbustos, y se sustentan con raíces de retama.

5Expulsados de la sociedad, y perseguidos con gritos habitan como ladrones,

6en los barrancos de los torrentes, en las cuevas de la tierra y en las breñas.

7Entre la maleza lanzan sus gritos, y se reúnen bajo las zarzas.

8Son hombres insensatos, hijos de gente sin nombre, echados del país a viva fuerza.

9Y ahora soy escarnecido por ellos y el objeto de sus pullas.

10Me abominan, se apartan de mí; y no se avergüenzan de escupirme en la cara.

11Han perdido todo freno, me humillan y pierden todo respeto en mi presencia.

12A mi derecha se levanta el populacho; hacen vacilar mis pies; traman contra mí maquinaciones para perderme.

13Me cortan el camino, procuran mi caída; nadie me presta auxilio contra ellos.

14Como por brecha ancha irrumpen, se revuelcan entre los escombros.

15Me han acometido terrores, y como el viento se llevan mi nobleza; cual nube pasó mi prosperidad.

16Ahora mi vida se derrama dentro de mí, se han apoderado de mí días aciagos.

17La noche me taladra los huesos, y no me dan tregua los que me roen.

18Su gran muchedumbre ha desfigurado mi vestido; me ciñen como el cabezón de mi túnica.

19Me han echado en el lodo, soy como el polvo y la ceniza.

20A Ti clamo por auxilio, y Tú no me respondes; permanezco en pie, y Tú me miras (con indiferencia).

21Te has tornado para mí en enemigo, y me persigues con todo tu poder.

22Me alzas sobre el viento, y me haces cabalgar; me sacudes sin darme sostén.

23Porque bien sé que me entregarás a la muerte, a la casa adonde van a parar todos los vivientes.

24Sin embargo el que va a perecer ¿no extiende su mano? en su aflicción ¿no pide auxilio?

25¿No lloraba yo con el atribulado? ¿no se afligía mi alma por el pobre?

26Pero esperando el bien, me vino el mal; aguardando la luz he quedado cubierto de tinieblas.

27Mis entrañas se abrazan sin descanso; me han sobrevenido días de aflicción.

28Ando como quien está de luto, sin alegría, me levanto en la asamblea para clamar por auxilio.

29Soy ahora hermano de los chacales, y compañero de los avestruces.

30Ennegrecida se me cae la piel, y mis huesos se consumen por la fiebre.

31El son de mi cítara se ha trocado en lamentos, y mi flauta en voz de llanto.”

1[Nunc autem derident me juniores tempore, quorum non dignabar patres ponere cum canibus gregis mei:

2quorum virtus manuum mihi erat pro nihilo, et vita ipsa putabantur indigni:

3egestate et fame steriles, qui rodebant in solitudine, squallentes calamitate et miseria.

4Et mandebant herbas, et arborum cortices, et radix juniperorum erat cibus eorum:

5qui de convallibus ista rapientes, cum singula reperissent, ad ea cum clamore currebant.

6In desertis habitabant torrentium, et in cavernis terræ, vel super glaream:

7qui inter hujuscemodi lætabantur, et esse sub sentibus delicias computabant:

8filii stultorum et ignobilium, et in terra penitus non parentes.

9Nunc in eorum canticum versus sum, et factus sum eis in proverbium.

10Abominantur me, et longe fugiunt a me, et faciem meam conspuere non verentur.

11Pharetram enim suam aperuit, et afflixit me, et frenum posuit in os meum.

12Ad dexteram orientis calamitates meæ illico surrexerunt: pedes meos subverterunt, et oppresserunt quasi fluctibus semitis suis.

13Dissipaverunt itinera mea; insidiati sunt mihi, et prævaluerunt: et non fuit qui ferret auxilium.

14Quasi rupto muro, et aperta janua, irruerunt super me, et ad meas miserias devoluti sunt.

15Redactus sum in nihilum: abstulisti quasi ventus desiderium meum, et velut nubes pertransiit salus mea.

16Nunc autem in memetipso marcescit anima mea, et possident me dies afflictionis.

17Nocte os meum perforatur doloribus, et qui me comedunt, non dormiunt.

18In multitudine eorum consumitur vestimentum meum, et quasi capito tunicæ succinxerunt me.

19Comparatus sum luto, et assimilatus sum favillæ et cineri.

20Clamo ad te, et non exaudis me: sto, et non respicis me.

21Mutatus es mihi in crudelem, et in duritia manus tuæ adversaris mihi.

22Elevasti me, et quasi super ventum ponens; elisisti me valide.

23Scio quia morti trades me, ubi constituta est domus omni viventi.

24Verumtamen non ad consumptionem eorum emittis manum tuam: et si corruerint, ipse salvabis.

25Flebam quondam super eo qui afflictus erat, et compatiebatur anima mea pauperi.

26Expectabam bona, et venerunt mihi mala: præstolabar lucem, et eruperunt tenebræ.

27Interiora mea efferbuerunt absque ulla requie: prævenerunt me dies afflictionis.

28Mœrens incedebam sine furore; consurgens, in turba clamabam.

29Frater fui draconum, et socius struthionum.

30Cutis mea denigrata est super me, et ossa mea aruerunt præ caumate.

31Versa est in luctum cithara mea, et organum meum in vocem flentium.]

1But now the younger in time scorn me, whose fathers I would not have set with the dogs of my flock:

2The strength of whose hands was to me as nothing, and they were thought unworthy of life itself.

3Barren with want and hunger, who gnawed in the wilderness, disfigured with calamity and misery.

4And they ate grass, and barks of trees, and the root of junipers was their food.

5Who snatched up these things out of the valleys, and when they had found any of them, they ran to them with a cry.

6They dwelt in the desert places of torrents, and in caves of earth, or upon the gravel.

7They pleased themselves among these kind of things, and counted it delightful to be under the briers.

8The children of foolish and base men, and not appearing at all upon the earth.

9Now I am turned into their song, and am become their byword.

10They abhor me, and flee far from me, and are not afraid to spit in my face.

11For he hath opened his quiver, and hath afflicted me, and hath put a bridle into my mouth.

12At 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.

13They have destroyed my ways, they have lain in wait against me, and they have prevailed, and there was none to help.

14They have rushed in upon me, as when a wall is broken, and a gate opened, and have rolled themselves down to my miseries.

15I am brought to nothing: as a wind thou hast taken away my desire: and my prosperity hath passed away like a cloud.

16And now my soul fadeth within myself, and the days of affliction possess me.

17In the night my bone is pierced with sorrows: and they that feed upon me, do not sleep.

18With the multitude of them my garment is consumed, and they have girded me about, as with the collar of my coat.

19I am compared to dirt, and am likened to embers and ashes.

20I cry to thee, and thou hearest me not: I stand up, and thou dost not regard me.

21Thou art changed to be cruel toward me, and in the hardness of thy hand thou art against me.

22Thou hast lifted me up, and set me as it were upon the wind, and thou hast mightily dashed me.

23I know that thou wilt deliver me to death, where a house is appointed for every one that liveth.

24But yet thou stretchest not forth thy hand to their consumption: and if they shall fall down thou wilt save.

25I wept heretofore for him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.

26I expected good things, and evils are come upon me: I waited for light, and darkness broke out.

27My inner parts have boiled without any rest, the days of affliction have prevented me.

28I went mourning without indignation; I rose up, and cried in the crowd.

29I was the brother of dragons, and companion of ostriches.

30My skin is become black upon me, and my bones are dried up with heat.

31My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.