Job 17
1 “My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have no strength left; my grave is waiting for me.
“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.
2 Those who are around me are making fun of me; I [SYN] watch them while they (taunt/make fun of) me.”
Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.
3 “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.
Give me, I pray, the pledge You demand. Who else will be my guarantor?
4 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].
You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them.
5 [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].
If a man denounces his friends for a price, the eyes of his children will fail.
6 “But now people use that saying of our ancestors when they talk about me; they spit in my face [to insult me].
He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit.
7 (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.
My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.
8 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.
The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are stirred against the godless.
9 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.
Yet a righteous one holds to his way, and the one with clean hands grows stronger.
10 “But even if all of those people came [and stood in front of me], I would not find anyone among them who is wise.
But come back and try again, all of you. For I will not find a wise man among you.
11 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.
My days have passed; my plans are broken off— even the desires of my heart.
12 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.
They have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness.
13 If my home will be the place where dead people are, where will I sleep in the darkness? (Sheol h7585)
If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness, (Sheol h7585)
14 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].’
and say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
15 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]
where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?
16 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)
Will it go down to the gates of Sheol? Will we go down together into the dust?” (Sheol h7585)
