Job chapter 17
English Standard Version
1“My spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me. 2Surely there are mockers about me, and my eye dwells on their provocation. 3“Lay down a pledge for me with you; who is there who will put up security for me? 4Since you have closed their hearts to understanding, therefore you will not let them triumph. 5He who informs against his friends to get a share of their property— the eyes of his children will fail. 6“He has made me a byword of the peoples, and I am one before whom men spit. 7My eye has grown dim from vexation, and all my members are like a shadow. 8The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent stirs himself up against the godless. 9Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger. 10But you, come on again, all of you, and I shall not find a wise man among you. 11My days are past; my plans are broken off, the desires of my heart. 12They make night into day: ‘The light,’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’ 13If I hope for Sheol as my house, if I make my bed in darkness, 14if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’ 15where then is my hope? Who will see my hope? 16Will it go down to the bars of Sheol? Shall we descend together into the dust?”
New International Version
2Surely mockers surround me; my eyes must dwell on their hostility. 3Give me, O God, the pledge you demand. Who else will put up security for me? 4You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore you will not let them triumph.
5If anyone denounces their friends for reward, the eyes of their children will fail. 6God has made me a byword to everyone, a man in whose face people spit. 7My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow. 8The upright are appalled at this; the innocent are aroused against the ungodly.
9Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger. 10But come on, all of you, try again! I will not find a wise man among you. 11My days have passed, my plans are shattered. Yet the desires of my heart 12turn night into day; in the face of the darkness light is near. 13If the only home I hope for is the grave, if I spread out my bed in the realm of darkness, 14if I say to corruption, 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 'My mother' or 'My sister,' 15where then is my hope-- who can see any hope for me? 16Will it go down to the gates of death? Will we descend together into the dust?'
New American Standard Bible
1'My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me. 2Mockers are certainly with me, And my eye gazes on their provocation. 3'Make a pledge for me with Yourself; Who is there that will be my guarantor? 4For You have kept their hearts away from understanding; Therefore You will not exalt them. 5He who informs against friends for a share of the spoils, The eyes of his children also will perish. 6'But He has made me a proverb among the people, And I am one at whom people spit. 7My eye has also become inexpressive because of grief, And all my body parts are like a shadow. 8The upright will be appalled at this, And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless. 9Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And the one who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger. 10But come again all of you now, For I do not find a wise man among you. 11My days are past, my plans are torn apart, The wishes of my heart. 12They make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness. 13If I hope for Sheol as my home, I make my bed in the darkness; 14If I call to the grave, ‘You are my father’; To the maggot, ‘my mother and my sister’; 15Where then is my hope? And who looks at my hope? 16Will it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together go down into the dust?'
Christian Standard Bible
2Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion. 3Accept my pledge! Put up security for me. Who else will be my sponsor? 4You have closed their minds to understanding, therefore you will not honor them.
5If a man denounces his friends for a price, the eyes of his children will fail. 6He has made me an object of scorn to the people; I have become a man people spit at. 7My eyes have grown dim from grief, and my whole body has become but a shadow. 8The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are roused against the godless. 9Yet the righteous person will hold to his way, and the one whose hands are clean will grow stronger.
10But come back and try again, all of you. I will not find a wise man among you. 11My days have slipped by; my plans have been ruined, even the things dear to my heart. 12They turned night into day and made light seem near in the face of darkness. 13If I await Sheol as my home, spread out my bed in darkness, 14and say to corruption, "You are my father," and to the maggot, "My mother" or "My sister," 15where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me? 16Will it go down to the gates of Sheol, or will we descend together to the dust?
New Living Translation
1'My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out. The grave is ready to receive me. 2I am surrounded by mockers. I watch how bitterly they taunt me.
3'You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me. 4You have closed their minds to understanding, but do not let them triumph. 5They betray their friends for their own advantage, so let their children faint with hunger.
6'God has made a mockery of me among the people; they spit in my face. 7My eyes are swollen with weeping, and I am but a shadow of my former self. 8The virtuous are horrified when they see me. The innocent rise up against the ungodly. 9The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.
10'As for all of you, come back with a better argument, though I still won't find a wise man among you. 11My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart's desires are broken. 12These men say that night is day; they claim that the darkness is light. 13What if I go to the grave and make my bed in darkness? 14What if I call the grave my father, and the maggot my mother or my sister? 15Where then is my hope? Can anyone find it? 16No, my hope will go down with me to the grave. We will rest together in the dust!'
King James Version
1My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. 2Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? 3Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me? 4For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. 5He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail. 6He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret. 7Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. 8Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. 9The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
10But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you. 11My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. 12They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. 13If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. 14I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister. 15And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? 16They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.