24 “Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man

when he cries for help in his distress.

25 Have I not wept for those in trouble?

Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;

when I looked for light, then came darkness.

27 The churning inside me never stops;

days of suffering confront me.

28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun;

I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.

29 I have become a brother of jackals,

a companion of owls.

30 My skin grows black and peels;

my body burns with fever.

31 My lyre is tuned to mourning,

and my pipe to the sound of wailing.

24 Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave,

Though they cry in his destruction.

25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble?

Was not my soul grieved for the poor?

26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me:

And when I waited for light, there came darkness.

27 My bowels boiled, and rested not:

The days of affliction prevented me.

28 I went mourning without the sun:

I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.

29 I am a brother to dragons,

And a companion to owls.

30 My skin is black upon me,

And my bones are burned with heat.

31 My harp also is turned to mourning,

And my organ into the voice of them that weep.

24 “Surely no one would turn against the needy

when they cry for help in their trouble.

25 Did I not weep for those in trouble?

Was I not deeply grieved for the needy?

26 So I looked for good, but evil came instead.

I waited for the light, but darkness fell.

27 My heart is troubled and restless.

Days of suffering torment me.

28 I walk in gloom, without sunlight.

I stand in the public square and cry for help.

29 Instead, I am considered a brother to jackals

and a companion to owls.

30 My skin has turned dark,

and my bones burn with fever.

31 My harp plays sad music,

and my flute accompanies those who weep.

24 “Surely He would not stretch out His hand against a heap of ruins,

If they cry out when He destroys it.

25 Have I not wept for him who was in trouble?

Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

26 But when I looked for good, evil came to me;

And when I waited for light, then came darkness.

27 My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest;

Days of affliction confront me.

28 I go about mourning, but not in the sun;

I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.

29 I am a brother of jackals,

And a companion of ostriches.

30 My skin grows black and falls from me;

My bones burn with fever.

31 My harp is turned to mourning,

And my flute to the voice of those who weep.

24 “Surely no one would hurt those who are ruined

when they cry for help in their time of trouble.

25 I cried for those who were in trouble;

I have been very sad for poor people.

26 But when I hoped for good, only evil came to me;

when I looked for light, darkness came.

27 I never stop being upset;

days of suffering are ahead of me.

28 I have turned black, but not by the sun.

I stand up in public and cry for help.

29 I have become a brother to wild dogs

and a friend to ostriches.

30 My skin has become black and peels off,

as my body burns with fever.

31 My harp is tuned to sing a sad song,

and my flute is tuned to moaning.

24 Howbeit doth not one stretch out the hand in his fall?

Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?

25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble?

Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

26 When I looked for good, then evil came;

And when I waited for light, there came darkness.

27 My heart is troubled, and resteth not;

Days of affliction are come upon me.

28 I go mourning without the sun:

I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.

29 I am a brother to jackals,

And a companion to ostriches.

30 My skin is black, and falleth from me,

And my bones are burned with heat.

31 Therefore is my harp turned to mourning,

And my pipe into the voice of them that weep.

24 Indeed, no prayer availeth when he stretcheth out his hand: though they cry when he destroyeth. 25 Did not I weep for him whose days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy? 26 For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness. 27 My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me. 28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation. 29 I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches. 30 My skin is become black and falleth off me, and my bones are parched with heat. 31 My harp also is turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.

24 “But God doesn’t stretch out his hand against one who is ruined 

when that person calls for help in his disaster. 

25 Didn’t I cry for the person whose days were difficult? 

Didn’t my soul grieve for the poor? 

26 When I waited for good, evil came. 

When I looked for light, darkness came. 

27 My insides are churning and won’t calm down. 

Days of misery are ahead of me. 

28 I walk in the dark without the sun. 

I stand up in public and call for help. 

29 I’m a brother to jackals 

and a companion of ostriches. 

30 My skin turns dark and peels. 

My body burns with fever. 

31 So my lyre is used for mourning 

and my flute for loud weeping. 

24 Yet no one would stretch out his hand

against a ruined man

when he cries out to him for help

because of his distress.

25 Have I not wept for those who have fallen on hard times?

Has my soul not grieved for the needy?

26 But when I hoped for good, evil came;

when I looked for light, darkness came.

27 I am churning within and cannot rest;

days of suffering confront me.

28 I walk about blackened, but not by the sun.

I stood in the assembly and cried out for help.

29 I have become a brother to jackals

and a companion of ostriches.

30 My skin blackens and flakes off,

and my bones burn with fever.

31 My lyre is used for mourning

and my flute for the sound of weeping.

24 “Surely one does not turn against the needy,

when in disaster they cry for help.

25 Did I not weep for those whose day was hard?

Was not my soul grieved for the poor?

26 But when I looked for good, evil came;

and when I waited for light, darkness came.

27 My inward parts are in turmoil, and are never still;

days of affliction come to meet me.

28 I go about in sunless gloom;

I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.

29 I am a brother of jackals,

and a companion of ostriches.

30 My skin turns black and falls from me,

and my bones burn with heat.

31 My lyre is turned to mourning,

and my pipe to the voice of those who weep.

24 “Surely someone must not send a hand against the needy

when, in his misfortune, there is a cry of help for them.

25 Have I not wept for the unfortunate,

and grieved myself over the poor?

26 Indeed, I hoped for good, but evil came,

and I waited for light, but darkness came.

27 My bowels are in turmoil, and they are not still;

days of misery come to confront me.

28 I go about in mourning garb, but not in sunlight;

I stand up in the assembly, and I cry for help.

29 I am a companion for the jackals

and a companion for ostriches.

30 My skin turns black on me,

and my bones burn with heat.

31 So my lyre came to be used for mourning,

and my flute for the voice of those who weep.

24 “No one would crush people

when they cry out for help in their trouble.

25 Haven’t I sobbed over those who are in trouble?

Haven’t I felt sorry for poor people?

26 I hoped good things would happen, but something evil came.

I looked for light, but all I saw was darkness.

27 My insides are always churning.

Nothing but days of suffering are ahead of me.

28 My skin has become dark, but the sun didn’t do it.

I stand up in the community and cry out for help.

29 I’ve become a brother to wild dogs.

Owls are my companions.

30 My skin grows black and peels.

My body burns with fever.

31 My harp is tuned to sadness.

My flute makes a sound like sobbing.

24 “Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand,

Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?

25 “Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard?

Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

26 “When I expected good, then evil came;

When I waited for light, then darkness came.

27 “I am seething within and cannot relax;

Days of affliction confront me.

28 “I go about mourning without comfort;

I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.

29 “I have become a brother to jackals

And a companion of ostriches.

30 “My skin turns black on me,

And my bones burn with fever.

31 “Therefore my harp is turned to mourning,

And my flute to the sound of those who weep.