Job 17
1 “My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.
“My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have no strength left; my grave is waiting for me.
2 Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.
Those who are around me are making fun of me; I [SYN] watch them while they (taunt/make fun of) me.”
3 Give me, I pray, the pledge You demand. Who else will be my guarantor?
“God, [it is as though I am in prison; ] please pay the money in order that I may be released, because there is certainly no one else who will help me.
4 You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them.
You have prevented my friends from understanding [what is true about me]; do not allow them to triumph over me, [saying that I have done things that are wrong].
5 If a man denounces his friends for a price, the eyes of his children will fail.
[Our ancestors often said, ‘It often happens that] when someone betrays his friends in order to get some of their property, it is that person’s children who will be punished for it;’ [so I desire/hope that will be true of these friends of mine who are lying about me].
6 He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit.
“But now people use that saying of our ancestors when they talk about me; they spit in my face [to insult me].
7 My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.
(My sight has become dim/I cannot see well) because I am extremely sad, and my arms and legs are [very thin, with the result that they almost do not cast] [MET] a shadow.
8 The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are stirred against the godless.
Those who [say that they] are good/righteous are shocked [when they see what has happened to me], and people who [say that they] (are innocent/have not done anything that is wrong) say that I am wicked/godless and should be punished.
9 Yet a righteous one holds to his way, and the one with clean hands grows stronger.
Those who [claim that they] are righteous will continue to do what [they think] is right, and those [who say] they have not sinned will continue to become stronger.
10 But come back and try again, all of you. For I will not find a wise man among you.
“But even if all of those people came [and stood in front of me], I would not find anyone among them who is wise.
11 My days have passed; my plans are broken off— even the desires of my heart.
My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have not been able to do the things that I confidently expected to do; [I have not been able to accomplish] anything that I [SYN] desired.
12 They have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness.
My friends do not know when it is night and when it is day; when it is night, they claim that it is daylight; when it is becoming dark, they claim it is becoming light.
If my home will be the place where dead people are, where will I sleep in the darkness? (Sheol h7585)
14 and say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
I may say to the grave, ‘You will be [like] a father to me,’ and say to the maggots [that will eat my body], ‘You will be [like] a mother or younger sisters to me [because you will be where I will always be].’
15 where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?
But if I say those things, (will there be anything good that I can confidently expect to happen to me?/there will be nothing good that I can confidently expect to happen to me.) [RHQ] (Is there anyone who knows anything good that I can expect when I am in the grave?/No one knows anything good that I can expect when I am in the grave.) [RHQ]
After I descend to the place where the dead are, (will I be able to confidently expect anything good there?/I certainly will not be able to confidently expect anything good there.) [RHQ] [It will be as though] [RHQ] I and the things I hope for will descend with me into the dust [where the dead are].” (Sheol h7585)
