< Job 17 >
1 My spirit, is broken, My days, are extinguished, Graves, are left me.
My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves [are ready] for me.
2 Verily there are mockers, with me! And, on their insults, mine eye doth rest.
[Are there] not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?
3 Appoint it, I pray thee—be thou surety for me with thyself, Who is there that, on my side, can pledge himself?
Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who [is] he [that] will strike hands with me?
4 For, their heart, hast thou kept back from understanding, On this account, thou wilt not exalt them.
For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt [them].
5 He that, for a share, denounceth friends, even, the eyes of his children, shall be dim.
He that speaketh flattery to [his] friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6 But he hath set me, as the byword of peoples, And, one to be spit on in the face, do I become.
He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.
7 Therefore hath mine eye become dim from vexation, and, my members, are like a shadow, all of them.
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members [are] as a shadow.
8 Upright men shall be astounded over this, and, the innocent, against the impious, shall rouse themselves.
Upright [men] shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.
9 That the righteous may hold on his way, and, the clean of hands, increase in strength.
The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
10 But indeed, as for them all, will ye bethink yourselves and enter into it, I pray you? Or shall I not find, among you, one who is wise?
But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find [one] wise [man] among you.
11 My days, are past, my purposes, are broken off, the possessions of my heart!
My days are past, my purposes are broken off, [even] the thoughts of my heart.
12 Night for day, they appoint, Light, is near, by reason of darkness!
They change the night into day: the light [is] short because of darkness.
13 If I wait for hades as my house, in darkness, have spread out my couch; (Sheol )
If I wait, the grave [is] mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. (Sheol )
14 To corruption, have exclaimed, My father, thou! My mother! and My sister! to the worm.
I have said to corruption, Thou [art] my father: to the worm, [Thou art] my mother, and my sister.
15 Where then would be my hope? And, as for my blessedness, who should see it!
And where [is] now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
16 With me to hades, would they go down, If, wholly—into the dust, is the descent! (Sheol )
They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when [our] rest together [is] in the dust. (Sheol )