Job 30

When I began, I thought Job was serious in this chapter, but on finishing, I think he was needling his friends with his summary reminding them of words they used that implied his lack of care for the indigent.

There is no rest in verse 27. Verses 3, 12 and 15 are tri-cola. Others could be read that way, but are not marked by a rest on the supertonic or subdominant.

The last verse suggests strongly that the inscriptions for a psalm are original. Or at least that inscribing a poem with the name of the song was a practice at the time that the Job philosophical drama was composed.

Job 30		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וְעַתָּ֤ה ׀ שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ עָלַי֮ צְעִירִ֥ים מִמֶּ֗נִּי לְיָ֫מִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַ֥סְתִּי אֲבוֹתָ֑ם לָ֝שִׁ֗ית עִם־כַּלְבֵ֥י צֹאנִֽי	1		But now they laugh at me, those of lesser account than I in days, whose fathers I refused to set with my sheep dogs.	3e	4C	17 8 7
גַּם־כֹּ֣חַ יְ֭דֵיהֶם לָ֣מָּה לִּ֑י עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ אָ֣בַד כָּֽלַח	2		Even the power of their hands, what is it to me? For them, full old age has perished.	3e	4B	9 7
בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ שׁוֹאָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה	3		Deprived and in penury, bleak, gnawed by aridity, last night of ruin, and from ruin,	3e	4A	8 5 7
הַקֹּטְפִ֣ים מַלּ֣וּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂ֑יחַ וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ רְתָמִ֣ים לַחְמָֽם	4		who pluck off mallow on the shrub, and the root of the broom for bread.	3e	4B	9 8
מִן־גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ כַּגַּנָּֽב	5		From the body expelled, they raise a shout about them as for a thief.	3e	4A	6 9
בַּעֲר֣וּץ נְחָלִ֣ים לִשְׁכֹּ֑ן חֹרֵ֖י עָפָ֣ר וְכֵפִֽים	6		In the ruthless wadis to dwell, dusty holes and burrows.	3e	4B	8 7
בֵּין־שִׂיחִ֥ים יִנְהָ֑קוּ תַּ֖חַת חָר֣וּל יְסֻפָּֽחוּ	7		Between shrubs they bray, under nettles deformed.	3e	4B	6 8
בְּֽנֵי־נָ֭בָל גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י בְלִי־שֵׁ֑ם נִ֝כְּא֗וּ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ	8		Children of the senseless, even children without a name, they are the crestfallen of the earth.	3e	4B	9 6
וְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה	9	g	And now their music I have become, and I am to them a speech.	3e	4B	10 8
תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי רָ֣חֲקוּ מֶ֑נִּי וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י לֹא־חָ֥שְׂכוּ רֹֽק	10		They abhor me. They are distant from me, and beyond my presence, they do not resist spitting.	3e	4B	9 8
כִּֽי־יִתְרִ֣י פִ֭תַּח וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן מִפָּנַ֥י שִׁלֵּֽחוּ	11		For my bow-string he has opened and he afflicts me, and bridle beyond my presence they dismiss.	3e	4B	9 9
עַל־יָמִין֮ פִּרְחַ֪ח יָ֫ק֥וּמוּ רַגְלַ֥י שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ וַיָּסֹ֥לּוּ עָ֝לַ֗י אָרְח֥וֹת אֵידָֽם	12		On my right hand. the brood arise. My feet they dismiss, and they extol against me the paths of their misfortune.	3d	4A	8 5 10
נָתְס֗וּ נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י לְהַוָּתִ֥י יֹעִ֑ילוּ לֹ֖א עֹזֵ֣ר לָֽמוֹ	13		They disfigure my pathway using my calamity. No help to them.	3e	4B	13 1 4
כְּפֶ֣רֶץ רָחָ֣ב יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ תַּ֥חַת שֹׁ֝אָ֗ה הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ	14		As a broadside open wide they arrive upon me. Under ruin they roll over me.	3e	4B	9 8
הָהְפַּ֥ךְ עָלַ֗י בַּלָּ֫ה֥וֹת תִּרְדֹּ֣ף כָּ֭רוּחַ נְדִבָתִ֑י וּ֝כְעָ֗ב עָבְרָ֥ה יְשֻׁעָתִֽי	15		He pillories me with frights. You pursue as wind my freewill offering, and as a thick cloud my salvation passes.	3e	4B	7 9 8
וְעַתָּ֗ה עָ֭לַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ נַפְשִׁ֑י יֹ֭אחֲז֣וּנִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי	16		So now against me is poured out my being. The days of my affliction have held me fast.	3e	4B	10 7
לַ֗יְלָה עֲ֭צָמַי נִקַּ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְ֝עֹרְקַ֗י לֹ֣א יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן	17	~	Night quarries my bones from me, and those gnawing do not lie down.	3e	4B	10 7
בְּרָב־כֹּ֭חַ‬ יִתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ לְבוּשִׁ֑י כְּפִ֖י כֻתָּנְתִּ֣י יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי	18		By abundant power my clothing plans. As the mouth of my coat, it girds me.	3e	4B	10 9
הֹרָ֥נִי לַחֹ֑מֶר וָ֝אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל כֶּעָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר	19		He has instructed me in clay, and I am parabled as dust and ashes.	3e	4A	6 10
אֲשַׁוַּ֣ע אֵ֭לֶיךָ וְלֹ֣א תַעֲנֵ֑נִי עָ֝מַ֗דְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּ֥נֶן בִּֽי	20		I cry for help to you and not you do answer me. I stand and you discern in me.	3e	4B	12 8
תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ לְאַכְזָ֣ר לִ֑י בְּעֹ֖צֶם יָדְךָ֣ תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי	21		You have changed to be vicious to me. In your skeletal hand, you oppose me.	3e	4B	7 9
תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי אֶל־ר֭וּחַ‬ תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי וּ֝תְמֹגְגֵ֗נִי תּוּשִׁיָּֽה	22		You lift me up. On a wind you make me ride. You soften my enterprise.	3e	4B	11 7
כִּֽי־יָ֭דַעְתִּי מָ֣וֶת תְּשִׁיבֵ֑נִי וּבֵ֖ית מוֹעֵ֣ד לְכָל־חָֽי	23		For I know you will make me turn to death, and the house engaged for all living.	3e	4B	9 7
אַ֣ךְ לֹא־בְ֭עִי יִשְׁלַח־יָ֑ד אִם־בְּ֝פִיד֗וֹ לָהֶ֥ן שֽׁוּעַ	24	B	But not in a shambles will he extend a hand, even in its disaster, to them crying for help.	3e	4B	7 8
אִם־לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־י֑וֹם עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י לָאֶבְיֽוֹן	25		Do I not weep in a hard day, my very self dolorous for the needy?	3e	4B	8 7
כִּ֤י ט֣וֹב קִ֭וִּיתִי וַיָּ֣בֹא רָ֑ע וַֽאֲיַחֲלָ֥ה לְ֝א֗וֹר וַיָּ֥בֹא אֹֽפֶל	26	C	For good I waited and evil came, and I hoped for light and gloom came.	3e	4C	9 12
מֵעַ֖י רֻתְּח֥וּ וְלֹא־דָ֗מּוּ קִדְּמֻ֥נִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי	27		My inner parts churned and were not mute. I was confronted by days of affliction.	3e	3g	13
קֹדֵ֣ר הִ֭לַּכְתִּי בְּלֹ֣א חַמָּ֑ה קַ֖מְתִּי בַקָּהָ֣ל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ	28		Wan I walk without heat. I arise in the congregation. I cry for help.	3e	4B	9 9
אָ֭ח הָיִ֣יתִי לְתַנִּ֑ים וְ֝רֵ֗עַ לִבְנ֥וֹת יַעֲנָֽה	29	g	Sibling I am become to a dragon, and associate to the daughters of an ostrich.	3e	4B	7 8
ע֭וֹרִי‬ שָׁחַ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְעַצְמִי־חָ֝֗רָה מִנִּי־חֹֽרֶב	30	g	My naked skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned from the desert.	3e	4B	7 7
וַיְהִ֣י לְ֭אֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִ֑י וְ֝עֻגָבִ֗י לְק֣וֹל בֹּכִֽים	31		And my harp is become 'of lament'. And my pipes 'of the voice of those who weep'.	3e	4B	8 8