Job 17
1 My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished — graves [are] for me.
“My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct and the grave is ready for me.
2 If not — mockeries [are] with me. And in their provocations mine eye lodgeth.
Surely there are mockers with me. My eye dwells on their provocation.
3 Place, I pray Thee, my pledge with Thee; Who is he that striketh hand with me?
“Now give a pledge. Be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?
4 For their heart Thou hast hidden From understanding, Therefore Thou dost not exalt them.
For you have hidden their heart from understanding, therefore you will not exalt them.
5 For a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.
He who denounces his friends for plunder, even the eyes of his children will fail.
6 And he set me up for a proverb of the peoples, And a wonder before them I am.
“But he has made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face.
7 And dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them.
My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
8 Astonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.
Upright men will be astonished at this. The innocent will stir himself up against the godless.
9 And the righteous layeth hold [on] his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And — dumb are they all.
Yet the righteous will hold to his way. He who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
10 Return, and come in, I pray you, And I find not among you a wise man.
But as for you all, come back. I will not find a wise man among you.
11 My days have passed by, My devices have been broken off, The possessions of my heart!
My days are past. My plans are broken off, as are the thoughts of my heart.
12 Night for day they appoint, Light [is] near because of darkness.
They change the night into day, saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness.
If I look for Sheol (Sheol h7585) as my house, if I have spread my couch in the darkness,
14 To corruption I have called: — 'Thou [art] my father.' 'My mother' and 'my sister' — to the worm.
if I have said to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ and ‘My sister,’
15 And where [is] now my hope? Yea, my hope, who doth behold it?
where then is my hope? As for my hope, who will see it?
