1“But now those who are younger than I am make fun of me.
I wouldn’t even put their parents with my sheep dogs!
2Their strong hands couldn’t give me any help.
That’s because their strength was gone.
3They were weak because they were needy and hungry.
They wandered through dry and empty deserts at night.
4Among the bushes they gathered salty plants.
They ate the roots of desert bushes.
5They were driven away from human society.
They were shouted at as if they were robbers.
6They were forced to live in dry stream beds.
They had to stay among rocks
and in holes in the ground.
7Like donkeys they cried out among the bushes.
There they crowded together and hid.
8They were so foolish that no one respected them.
They were driven out of the land.
9“Now their children laugh at me.
They make fun of me with their songs.
10They hate me. They stay away from me.
They even dare to spit in my face.
11God has made my body weak.
It’s like a tent that has fallen down.
So those children do what they want to in front of me.
12Many people attack me on my right side.
They lay traps for my feet.
They come at me from every direction.
13They tear up the road I walk on.
They succeed in destroying me.
They say, ‘No one can help him.’
14They attack me like troops smashing through a wall.
Among the destroyed buildings they come rolling in.
15Terrors sweep over me.
My honor is driven away as if by the wind.
My safety vanishes like a cloud.
16“Now my life is slipping away.
Days of suffering grab hold of me.
17At night my bones hurt.
My aches and pains never stop.
18God’s great power becomes like clothes to me.
He chokes me like the neck of my shirt.
19He throws me down into the mud.
I’m nothing but dust and ashes.
20“God, I cry out to you. But you don’t answer me.
I stand up. But all you do is look at me.
21You do mean things to me.
You attack me with your mighty power.
22You pick me up and blow me away with the wind.
You toss me around in the storm.
23I know that you will bring me down to death.
That’s what you have appointed for everyone.
24“No one would crush people
when they cry out for help in their trouble.
25Haven’t I wept for those who are in trouble?
Haven’t I felt sorry for poor people?
26I hoped good things would happen, but something evil came.
I looked for light, but all I saw was darkness.
27My insides are always churning.
Nothing but days of suffering are ahead of me.
28My skin has become dark, but the sun didn’t do it.
I stand up in the community and cry out for help.
29I’ve become a brother to wild dogs.
Owls are my companions.
30My skin grows black and peels.
My body burns with fever.
31My lyre is tuned to sadness.
My flute makes a sound like weeping.
Ọ̀rọ̀ ìbànújẹ́ Jobu
1“Ṣùgbọ́n nísinsin yìí,
àwọn tí mo gbà ní àbúrò ń fi mí ṣe ẹlẹ́yà
baba ẹni tí èmi kẹ́gàn
láti tò pẹ̀lú àwọn ajá nínú agbo ẹran mi.
2Kí ni ìwúlò agbára ọwọ́ wọn sí mi,
níwọ̀n ìgbà tí agbára wọn ti fi wọ́n sílẹ̀?
3Wọ́n rù nítorí àìní àti ìyàn
wọ́n ń rìn káàkiri ní ilẹ̀ gbígbẹ
ní ibi ìkọ̀sílẹ̀ ní òru.
4Àwọn ẹni tí ń já ewé iyọ̀ ní ẹ̀bá igbó;
gbogbo igikígi ni oúnjẹ jíjẹ wọn.
5A lé wọn kúrò láàrín ènìyàn,
àwọn ènìyàn sì pariwo lé wọn lórí bí ẹní pariwo lé olè lórí.
6A mú wọn gbe inú pàlàpálá òkúta Àfonífojì,
nínú ihò ilẹ̀ àti ti òkúta.
7Wọ́n ń dún ní àárín igbó
wọ́n kó ara wọn jọ pọ̀ ní abẹ́ ẹ̀gún neteli.
8Àwọn ọmọ ẹni tí òye kò yé,
àní àwọn ọmọ lásán, a sì lé wọn jáde kúrò ní orí ilẹ̀.
9“Ǹjẹ́ nísinsin yìí, àwọn ọmọ wọn ń fi mí ṣe ẹlẹ́yà nínú orin;
àní èmi di ẹni ìṣọ̀rọ̀ sí láàrín wọn.
10Wọ́n kórìíra mi; wọ́n sá kúrò jìnnà sí mi,
wọn kò sì bìkítà láti tutọ́ sí mi lójú.
11Nítorí Ọlọ́run ti tú okùn ìyè mi, ó sì pọ́n mi lójú;
àwọn pẹ̀lú sì dẹ ìdẹ̀kùn níwájú mi.
12Àwọn ènìyàn lásán dìde ní apá ọ̀tún mi;
wọ́n tì ẹsẹ̀ mi kúrò,
wọ́n sì la ipa ọ̀nà ìparun sílẹ̀ dè mí.
13Wọ́n da ipa ọ̀nà mi rú;
wọ́n sì sọ ìparun mi di púpọ̀,
àwọn tí kò ní olùrànlọ́wọ́.
14Wọ́n ya sí mi bí i omi tí ó ya gbuuru;
ní ariwo ńlá ni wọ́n rọ́ wá.
15Ẹ̀rù ńlá bà mí;
wọ́n lépa ọkàn mi bí ẹ̀fúùfù,
àlàáfíà mi sì kọjá lọ bí àwọ̀ sánmọ̀.
16“Àti nísinsin yìí, ayé mi n yòrò lọ díẹ̀díẹ̀;
ọjọ́ ìpọ́njú mi dì mímú.
17Òru gún mi nínú egungun mi,
èyí tí ó bù mí jẹ kò sì sinmi.
18Nípa agbára ńlá rẹ̀ Ọlọ́run wà bí aṣọ ìbora fún mi,
ó sì lẹ̀ mọ́ mi ní ara yíká bí aṣọ ìlekè mi.
19Ọlọ́run ti mú mi lọ sínú ẹrẹ̀,
èmi sì dàbí eruku àti eérú.
20“Èmi ké pè ọ́ ìwọ Ọlọ́run, ṣùgbọ́n ìwọ kò dá mi lóhùn;
èmi dìde dúró ìwọ sì wò mí lásán.
21Ìwọ padà di ẹni ìkà sí mi; ọwọ́
agbára rẹ ni ìwọ fi dè mí ní ọ̀nà.
22Ìwọ gbé mi sókè sí inú ẹ̀fúùfù, ìwọ mú mi fò lọ,
bẹ́ẹ̀ ni ìwọ sì sọ mí di asán pátápátá.
23Èmi sá à mọ̀ pé ìwọ yóò mú mi lọ sínú ikú,
sí ilé ìpéjọ tí a yàn fún gbogbo alààyè.
24“Bí ó ti wù kí ó rí, ẹnìkan kí yóò ha nawọ́ rẹ̀ nígbà ìṣubú rẹ̀,
tàbí kì yóò ké nínú ìparun rẹ̀.
25Èmi kò ha sọkún bí fún ẹni tí ó wà nínú ìṣòro?
Ọkàn mi kò ha bàjẹ́ fún tálákà bí?
26Nígbà tí mo fojú ṣọ́nà fún àlàáfíà, ibi sì dé;
nígbà tí mo dúró de ìmọ́lẹ̀, òkùnkùn sì dé.
27Ikùn mí n ru kò sì sinmi;
Ọjọ́ ìpọ́njú ti dé bá mi.
28Èmí ń rìn kiri nínú ọ̀fọ̀, ṣùgbọ́n kì í ṣe nínú oòrùn;
èmi dìde dúró ní àwùjọ mo sì kígbe fún ìrànlọ́wọ́.
29Èmi ti di arákùnrin ìkookò,
èmi di ẹgbẹ́ àwọn ògòǹgò.
30Àwọ̀ mi di dúdú ní ara mi;
egungun mi sì jórun fún ooru.
31Ohun èlò orin mi pẹ̀lú sì di ti ọ̀fọ̀,
àti ìpè orin mi sì di ohùn àwọn tí ń sọkún.
