2 Of what use was the strength of their hands to me,

since their vigor had gone from them?

3 Haggard from want and hunger,

they roamed the parched land

in desolate wastelands at night.

4 In the brush they gathered salt herbs,

and their food was the root of the broom bush.

5 They were banished from human society,

shouted at as if they were thieves.

6 They were forced to live in the dry stream beds,

among the rocks and in holes in the ground.

7 They brayed among the bushes

and huddled in the undergrowth.

8 A base and nameless brood,

they were driven out of the land.

2 Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me,

In whom old age was perished?

3 For want and famine they were solitary;

Fleeing into the wilderness

In former time desolate and waste.

4 Who cut up mallows by the bushes,

And juniper roots for their meat.

5 They were driven forth from among men,

(They cried after them as after a thief;)

6 To dwell in the clifts of the valleys,

In caves of the earth, and in the rocks.

7 Among the bushes they brayed;

Under the nettles they were gathered together.

8 They were children of fools, yea, children of base men:

They were viler than the earth.

2 A lot of good they are to me—

those worn-out wretches!

3 They are gaunt from poverty and hunger.

They claw the dry ground in desolate wastelands.

4 They pluck wild greens from among the bushes

and eat from the roots of broom trees.

5 They are driven from human society,

and people shout at them as if they were thieves.

6 So now they live in frightening ravines,

in caves and among the rocks.

7 They sound like animals howling among the bushes,

huddled together beneath the nettles.

8 They are nameless fools,

outcasts from society.

2 Indeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me?

Their vigor has perished.

3 They are gaunt from want and famine,

Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste,

4 Who pluck mallow by the bushes,

And broom tree roots for their food.

5 They were driven out from among men,

They shouted at them as at a thief.

6 They had to live in the clefts of the valleys,

In caves of the earth and the rocks.

7 Among the bushes they brayed,

Under the nettles they nestled.

8 They were sons of fools,

Yes, sons of vile men;

They were scourged from the land.

2 What use did I have for their strength

since they had lost their strength to work?

3 They were thin from hunger

and wandered the dry and ruined land at night.

4 They gathered desert plants among the brush

and ate the root of the broom tree.

5 They were forced to live away from people;

people shouted at them as if they were thieves.

6 They lived in dried up streambeds,

in caves, and among the rocks.

7 They howled like animals among the bushes

and huddled together in the brush.

8 They are worthless people without names

and were forced to leave the land.

2 Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me?

Men in whom ripe age is perished.

3 They are gaunt with want and famine;

They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of wasteness and desolation.

4 They pluck salt-wort by the bushes;

And the roots of the broom are their food.

5 They are driven forth from the midst of men;

They cry after them as after a thief;

6 So that they dwell in frightful valleys,

In holes of the earth and of the rocks.

7 Among the bushes they bray;

Under the nettles they are gathered together.

8 They are children of fools, yea, children of base men;

They were scouraged out of the land.

2 Yea, whereto should the strength of their hands profit me, men in whom vigour hath perished? 3 Withered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert: 4 They gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food. 5 They are driven forth from among men —they cry after them as after a thief— 6 To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks: 7 They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together: 8 Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.

2 Of what use to me was the strength of their hands? 

Their strength is gone. 

3 Shriveled up from need and hunger, 

they gnaw at the dry and barren ground during the night. 

4 They pick saltwort from the underbrush, 

and the roots of the broom plant are their food.

5 They are driven from the community. 

People shout at them in the same way they shout at thieves. 

6 They have to live in dry riverbeds, 

in holes in the ground, and among rocks. 

7 They howl in bushes 

and huddle together under thornbushes. 

8 Godless fools and worthless people 

are forced out of the land with whips. 

2 What use to me was the strength of their hands?

Their vigor had left them.

3 Emaciated from poverty and hunger,

they gnawed the dry land,

the desolate wasteland by night.

4 They plucked mallow among the shrubs,

and the roots of the broom tree were their food.

5 They were expelled from human society;

people shouted at them as if they were thieves.

6 They are living on the slopes of the wadis,

among the rocks and in holes in the ground.

7 They bray among the shrubs;

they huddle beneath the thistles.

8 Foolish men, without even a name.

They were forced to leave the land.

2 What could I gain from the strength of their hands?

All their vigor is gone.

3 Through want and hard hunger

they gnaw the dry and desolate ground,

4 they pick mallow and the leaves of bushes,

and to warm themselves the roots of broom.

5 They are driven out from society;

people shout after them as after a thief.

6 In the gullies of wadis they must live,

in holes in the ground, and in the rocks.

7 Among the bushes they bray;

under the nettles they huddle together.

8 A senseless, disreputable brood,

they have been whipped out of the land.

2 Moreover, what use to me is the strength of their hands?

With them, vigor is destroyed.

3 Through want and through barren hunger

they are gnawing in the dry region in the darkness of desolation and waste.

4 They are picking salt herbs, the leaves of bushes,

and the roots of broom trees to warm themselves.

5 They were driven out from fellow people;

they shout at them as at a thief,

6 so that they dwell

in holes of the ground and in the rocks.

7 They bray among the bushes;

they are gathered under the nettles.

8 A senseless crowd, yes, a disreputable brood,

they were cast out from the land.

2 Their strong hands couldn’t give me any help.

That’s because their strength was gone.

3 They were weak because they were needy and hungry.

They wandered through dry and empty deserts at night.

4 Among the bushes they gathered salty plants.

They ate the roots of desert trees.

5 They were driven away from society.

They were shouted at as if they were robbers.

6 They were forced to live in dry stream beds.

They had to stay among rocks

and in holes in the ground.

7 Like donkeys they cried out among the bushes.

There they crowded together and hid.

8 They were so foolish that no one respected them.

They were driven out of the land.

2 “Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?

Vigor had perished from them.

3 “From want and famine they are gaunt

Who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation,

4 Who pluck mallow by the bushes,

And whose food is the root of the broom shrub.

5 “They are driven from the community;

They shout against them as against a thief,

6 So that they dwell in dreadful valleys,

In holes of the earth and of the rocks.

7 “Among the bushes they cry out;

Under the nettles they are gathered together.

8 “Fools, even those without a name,

They were scourged from the land.