Job 17
1 "My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct, And the grave is ready for me.
My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished — graves [are] for me.
2 Surely there are mockers with me. My eye dwells on their provocation.
If not — mockeries [are] with me. And in their provocations mine eye lodgeth.
3 "Now give a pledge, be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?
Place, I pray Thee, my pledge with Thee; Who is he that striketh hand with me?
4 For you have hidden their heart from understanding, Therefore you shall not exalt them.
For their heart Thou hast hidden From understanding, Therefore Thou dost not exalt them.
5 He who denounces his friends for a prey, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.
For a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.
6 "But he has made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face.
And he set me up for a proverb of the peoples, And a wonder before them I am.
7 My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
And dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them.
8 Upright men shall be astonished at this. The innocent shall stir up himself against the godless.
Astonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.
9 Yet shall the righteous hold on his way. He who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger.
And the righteous layeth hold [on] his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And — dumb are they all.
10 But as for you all, come on now again; I shall 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 are past, my plans are broken off, as are the thoughts of my heart.
My days have passed by, My devices have been broken off, The possessions of my heart!
12 They change the night into day, saying 'The light is near' in the presence 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 If I have said to corruption, 'You are my father;' to the worm, 'My mother,' and '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? As for my hope, who shall see it?
And where [is] now my hope? Yea, my hope, who doth behold it?
