Job 17
1 My spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished — graves [are] for me.
My spirit is consumed, and my days are over; 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 must always see their provocation.
3 Place, I pray Thee, my pledge with Thee; Who is he that striketh hand with me?
Give now a pledge, be a guarantee for me with yourself; who else is there who will help me?
4 For their heart Thou hast hidden From understanding, Therefore Thou dost not exalt them.
For you, God, have kept their hearts from understanding; therefore, you will not exalt them over me.
5 For a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.
He who denounces his friends for a reward, 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 is also dim because of sorrow; all my body parts are as thin as shadows.
8 Astonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.
Upright men will be stunned by this; the innocent man will stir himself up against godless men.
9 And the righteous layeth hold [on] his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And — dumb are they all.
The righteous man will keep 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 on now; 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 shattered, and so are the desires of my heart.
12 Night for day they appoint, Light [is] near because of darkness.
These people, these mockers, change the night into day; light is near to darkness.
If the only home I hope for is Sheol; and if I have spread my couch in the darkness; (Sheol h7585)
14 To corruption I have called: — 'Thou [art] my father.' 'My mother' and 'my sister' — to the worm.
and if I have said to the pit, 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 'You are my mother or 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 can see any?
