1 WYC But now yongere men in tyme scornen me, whos fadris Y deynede not to sette with the doggis of my flok. BSB BSB: “But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to put with my sheep dogs.
2 WYC Of whiche men the vertu of hondis was for nouyt to me, and thei weren gessid vnworthi to that lijf. BSB BSB: What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them?
3 WYC Thei weren bareyn for nedynesse and hungur; that gnawiden in wildirnesse, and weren pale for pouert and wretchidnesse; BSB BSB: Gaunt from poverty and hunger, they gnawed the dry land, and the desolate wasteland by night.
4 WYC and eeten eerbis, aud the ryndis of trees; and the roote of iunyperis was her mete. BSB BSB: They plucked mallow among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food.
5 WYC Whiche men rauyschiden these thingis fro grete valeis; and whanne thei hadden foundun ony of alle, thei runnen with cry to tho. BSB BSB: They were banished from among men, shouted at like thieves,
6 WYC Thei dwelliden in deseertis of strondis, and in caues of erthe, ethir on grauel, `ethir on cley. BSB BSB: so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.
7 WYC Whiche weren glad among siche thingis, and arettiden delices to be vndur buschis. BSB BSB: They cried out among the shrubs and huddled beneath the nettles.
8 WYC The sones of foolis and of vnnoble men, and outirli apperynge not in erthe. BSB BSB: A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land.
9 WYC But now Y am turned in to the song of hem, and Y am maad a prouerbe to hem. BSB BSB: And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.
10 WYC Thei holden me abhomynable, and fleen fer fro me, and dreden not to spete on my face. BSB BSB: They abhor me and keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.
11 WYC For God hath openyd his arowe caas, and hath turmentid me, and hath set a bridil in to my mouth. BSB BSB: Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint in my presence.
12 WYC At the riytside of the eest my wretchidnessis risiden anoon; thei turneden vpsedoun my feet, and oppressiden with her pathis as with floodis. BSB BSB: The rabble arises at my right; they lay snares for my feet and build siege ramps against me.
13 WYC Thei destrieden my weies; thei settiden tresoun to me, and hadden the maistri; and `noon was that helpide. BSB BSB: They tear up my path; they profit from my destruction, with no one to restrain them.
14 WYC Thei felden in on me as bi a brokun wal, and bi yate openyd, and weren stretchid forth to my wretchidnessis. BSB BSB: They advance as through a wide breach; through the ruins they keep rolling in.
15 WYC Y am dryuun in to nouyt; he took awei my desir as wynd, and myn helpe passide awei as a cloude. BSB BSB: Terrors are turned loose against me; they drive away my dignity as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed like a cloud.
16 WYC But now my soule fadith in my silf, and daies of turment holden me stidfastly. BSB BSB: And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction grip me.
17 WYC In nyyt my boon is persid with sorewis; and thei, that eten me, slepen not. BSB BSB: Night pierces my bones, and my gnawing pains never rest.
18 WYC In the multitude of tho my cloth is wastid, and thei han gird me as with coler of a coote. BSB BSB: With great force He grasps my garment; He seizes me by the collar of my tunic.
19 WYC Y am comparisound to cley, and Y am maad lijk to a deed sparcle and aisch. BSB BSB: He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes.
20 WYC Y schal cry to thee, and thou schalt not here me; Y stonde, and thou biholdist not me. BSB BSB: I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer; when I stand up, You merely look at me.
21 WYC Thou art chaungid in to cruel to me, and in the hardnesse of thin hond thou art aduersarie to me. BSB BSB: You have ruthlessly turned on me; You oppose me with Your strong hand.
22 WYC Thou hast reisid me, and hast set as on wynd; and hast hurtlid me doun strongli. BSB BSB: You snatch me up into the wind and drive me before it; You toss me about in the storm.
23 WYC Y woot, that thow schalt bitake me to deeth, where an hows is ordeyned to ech lyuynge man. BSB BSB: Yes, I know that You will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.
24 WYC Netheles thou sendist not out thin hond to the wastyng of hem; and if thei fallen doun, thou schalt saue. BSB BSB: Yet no one stretches out his hand against a ruined man when he cries for help in his distress.
25 WYC Y wepte sum tyme on him, that was turmentid, and my soule hadde compassioun on a pore man. BSB BSB: Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?
26 WYC Y abood goodis, and yuelis ben comun to me; Y abood liyt, and derknessis braken out. BSB BSB: But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.
27 WYC Myn ynnere thingis buyliden out with outen my reste; daies of turment camen bifor me. BSB BSB: I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me.
28 WYC Y yede morenynge, and Y roos with out woodnesse in the cumpenye, and criede. BSB BSB: I go about blackened, but not by the sun. I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.
29 WYC Y was the brother of dragouns, and the felow of ostrigis. BSB BSB: I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.
30 WYC My skyn was maad blak on me, and my boonys drieden for heete. BSB BSB: My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever.
31 WYC Myn harpe is turned in to morenyng, and myn orgun in to the vois of weperis. BSB BSB: My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.