Job

¹ Young ruffians! whippersnappers!

² mere inexperienced pups. But they are worse than dogs—good for nothing, stray, mangy animals,

³ howling at the moon;

⁴ chewing on old bones and licking old tin cans;

⁵ cursed as dangerous delinquents.

⁶ they were driven from the neighborhood.

⁷ yelping and barking, huddled in junkyards,

⁸ thrown out on their ears.

⁹ mistreating me, taunting and mocking.

¹⁰ How dare those scoundrels—they spit in my face!

¹¹ they hold nothing back. Anything goes.

¹² trip me up, then jump on me while I'm down.

¹³ determined to ruin me— and no one lifts a finger to help me!

¹⁴ trample through the rubble of my ruined life.

¹⁵ my dignity in shreds, salvation up in smoke.

¹⁶ as suffering seizes and grips me hard.

¹⁷ the pain never lets up.

¹⁸ I twist and turn.

¹⁹ I'm a muddy mess, inside and out.

²⁰ I stand to face you in protest, and you give me a blank stare!

²¹ you slap me around, knock me about.

²² and then dropped me, and I crashed.

²³ to put me six feet under.

²⁴ Did I ever hit anyone who was calling for help?

²⁵ been heartsick over the lot of the poor?

²⁶ I expected good but evil showed up. I looked for light but darkness fell.

²⁷ Each day confronts me with more suffering.

²⁸ I stand in the congregation and protest.

²⁹ I hoot with the owls.

³⁰ burning up with fever.

³¹ my mouth harp wails laments.