17 My spirit is broken.
The days of my life are almost gone.
    The grave is waiting for me.
² Those who laugh at me surround me.
    I watch them insult me.

³ “God, make me a promise.
    No one else will make a promise for me.
⁴ You have closed the minds of my friends so they do not understand.
    So you will not let them win over me.
⁵ A man might speak against his friends for money.
    But if he does, the eyes of his children go blind.

⁶ “God has caused people to use my name as a curse word.
    People spit in my face.
⁷ My sight has grown weak because of my sadness.
    My body is so thin it’s like a shadow.
⁸ Honest people are upset about this.
    Innocent people are upset with people who do wrong.
⁹ But people who do right will continue to do right.
    And those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger.

¹⁰ “But, all of you, come and try again!
    I do not find a wise man among you!
¹¹ My days are gone, and my plans have been destroyed.
    The desires of my heart are also destroyed.
¹² These men think night is day.
    When it is dark, they say, ‘Light is near.’
¹³ It might be that the only home I hope for is where the dead are.
    I might spread out my bed in darkness.
¹⁴ I might say to the grave, ‘You are my father.’
    And I might say to the worm, ‘You are my mother’ or ‘You are my sister.’
¹⁵ If these things are true, I have no hope.
    No one can see any hope for me.
¹⁶ Hope will go down to the gates of death.
    We will go down together into the dust.”