< Job 17 >
1 Spiritus meus attenuabitur, dies mei breviabuntur, et solum mihi superest sepulchrum.
“My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have no strength left; my grave is waiting for me.
2 Non peccavi, et in amaritudinibus moratur oculus meus.
Those who are around me are making fun of me; I [SYN] watch them while they (taunt/make fun of) me.”
3 Libera me Domine, et pone me iuxta te, et cuiusvis manus pugnet contra me.
“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.
4 Cor eorum longe fecisti a disciplina, propterea non exaltabuntur.
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].
5 Praedam pollicetur sociis, et oculi filiorum eius deficient.
[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].
6 Posuit me quasi in proverbium vulgi, et exemplum sum coram eis.
“But now people use that saying of our ancestors when they talk about me; they spit in my face [to insult me].
7 Caligavit ab indignatione oculus meus, et membra mea quasi in nihilum redacta sunt.
(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.
8 Stupebunt iusti super hoc, et innocens contra hypocritam suscitabitur.
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.
9 Et tenebit iustus viam suam, et mundis manibus addet fortitudinem.
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.
10 Igitur omnes vos convertimini, et venite, et non inveniam in vobis ullum sapientem.
“But even if all of those people came [and stood in front of me], I would not find anyone among them who is wise.
11 Dies mei transierunt, cogitationes meae dissipatae sunt, torquentes cor meum:
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.
12 Noctem verterunt in diem, et rursum post tenebras spero lucem.
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.
13 Si sustinuero, infernus domus mea est, et in tenebris stravi lectulum meum. (Sheol )
If my home will be the place where dead people are, where will I sleep in the darkness? (Sheol )
14 Putredini dixi: Pater meus es, mater mea, et soror mea, vermibus.
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].’
15 Ubi est ergo nunc praestolatio mea, et patientiam meam quis considerat?
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]
16 In profundissimum infernum descendent omnia mea: putasne saltem ibi erit requies mihi? (Sheol )
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 )