Job 17
1 “My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.
My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished — graves [are] for me.
2 Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.
If not — mockeries [are] with me. And in their provocations mine eye lodgeth.
3 Give me, I pray, the pledge You demand. Who else will be my guarantor?
Place, I pray Thee, my pledge with Thee; Who is he that striketh hand with me?
4 You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them.
For their heart Thou hast hidden From understanding, Therefore Thou dost not exalt them.
5 If a man denounces his friends for a price, the eyes of his children will fail.
For a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.
6 He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit.
And he set me up for a proverb of the peoples, And a wonder before them I am.
7 My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.
And dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them.
8 The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are stirred against the godless.
Astonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.
9 Yet a righteous one holds to his way, and the one with clean hands grows stronger.
And the righteous layeth hold [on] his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And — dumb are they all.
10 But come back and try again, all of you. For I will not find a wise man among you.
Return, and come in, I pray you, And I find not among you a wise man.
11 My days have passed; my plans are broken off— even the desires of my heart.
My days have passed by, My devices have been broken off, The possessions of my heart!
12 They have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness.
Night for day they appoint, Light [is] near because of darkness.
If I wait — Sheol [is] my house, In darkness I have spread out my couch. (Sheol h7585)
14 and say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
To corruption I have called: — 'Thou [art] my father.' 'My mother' and 'my sister' — to the worm.
15 where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?
And where [is] now my hope? Yea, my hope, who doth behold it?
