Job 17
1 My spirit is consumed, and my days are over; the grave is ready for me.
My breath is exhausted; My days are at an end; The grave is ready for me.
2 Surely there are mockers with me; my eye must always see their provocation.
Are not revilers before me? And doth not my eye dwell upon their provocations?
3 Give now a pledge, be a guarantee for me with yourself; who else is there who will help me?
Give a pledge, I pray thee; be thou a surety for me with thee; Who is he that will strike hands with me?
4 For you, God, have kept their hearts from understanding; therefore, you will not exalt them over me.
Behold, thou hast blinded their understanding; Therefore thou wilt not suffer them to prevail.
5 He who denounces his friends for a reward, the eyes of his children will fail.
He who delivereth up his friends as a prey, —The eyes of his children shall fail.
6 But he has made me a byword of the people; they spit in my face.
He made me the by-word of the people; Yea, I have become their abhorrence.
7 My eye is also dim because of sorrow; all my body parts are as thin as shadows.
My eye therefore is dim with sorrow, And all my limbs are as a shadow.
8 Upright men will be stunned by this; the innocent man will stir himself up against godless men.
Upright men will be astonished at this, And the innocent will rouse themselves against the wicked.
9 The righteous man will keep to his way; he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
The righteous will also hold on his way, And he that hath clean hands will gather strength.
10 But as for you all, come on now; I will not find a wise man among you.
But as for you all, return, I pray! I find not yet among you one wise man.
11 My days are past; my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart.
My days are at an end; My plans are broken off; Even the treasures of my heart.
12 These people, these mockers, change the night into day; light is near to darkness.
Night hath become day to me; The light bordereth on darkness.
13 If the only home I hope for is Sheol; and if I have spread my couch in the darkness; (Sheol h7585)
Yea, I look to the grave as my home; I have made my bed in darkness. (Sheol h7585)
14 and if I have said to the pit, 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 'You are my mother or my sister,'
I say to the pit, Thou art my father! And to the worm, My mother! and, My sister!
15 where then is my hope? As for my hope, who can see any?
Where then is my hope? Yea, my hope, who shall see it?
