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Job Seeks Hope

17 “My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished;
The [a](A)grave is ready for me.
(B)Surely mockers are with me,
And my eye [b]gazes on their provocation.

“Establish, now, a pledge (C)for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will clap my hand in pledge?
For You have (D)hidden their heart from insight,
Therefore You will not exalt them.
He who (E)informs against friends for a share of the spoil,
The (F)eyes of his children also will come to an end.

“But He has made me a (G)byword of the people,
And I am [c]one at whom men (H)spit.
My eye has also grown (I)dim because of grief,
And all my (J)members are as a shadow.
The upright will be appalled at this,
And the (K)innocent will stir up himself against the godless.
Nevertheless (L)the righteous will hold to his way,
And (M)he who has clean hands will grow mightier and mightier.
10 But come again all of [d]you now,
For I (N)do not find a wise man among you.
11 My (O)days are past; my plans are torn apart,
Even the wishes of my heart.
12 They make night into day, saying,
‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.
13 If I hope for (P)Sheol as my home,
I [e]make my bed in the darkness;
14 If I call to the (Q)pit, ‘You are my father’;
To the (R)worm, ‘my mother and my sister’;
15 Where now is (S)my hope?
And who beholds my hope?
16 [f]Will it go down with me to Sheol?
Shall we together (T)go down into the dust?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 17:1 Lit graves
  2. Job 17:2 Lit lodges
  3. Job 17:6 Lit a spitting to the faces
  4. Job 17:10 As in some ancient mss and versions; M.T. them
  5. Job 17:13 Lit spread out
  6. Job 17:16 As in Gr; Heb possibly Let my limbs sink down to Sheol, since there is rest in the dust for all

17 My spirit is broken.
My days are extinguished.
A graveyard(A) awaits me.
Surely mockers surround[a] me,
and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.(B)

Accept my pledge! Put up security for me.(C)
Who else will be my sponsor?[b]
You have closed their minds to understanding,
therefore you will not honor them.
If a man denounces his friends for a price,
the eyes of his children will fail.

He has made me an object of scorn to the people;
I have become a man people spit at.[c](D)
My eyes have grown dim from grief,
and my whole body has become but a shadow.
The upright are appalled(E) at this,
and the innocent are roused against the godless.
Yet the righteous person will hold to his way,
and the one whose hands are clean(F) will grow stronger.
10 But come back and try again, all of you.[d]
I will not find a wise man among you.

11 My days have slipped by;
my plans have been ruined,
even the things dear to my heart.
12 They turned night into day
and made light seem near in the face of darkness.(G)
13 If I await Sheol as my home,
spread out my bed in darkness,
14 and say to corruption, “You are my father,”
and to the maggot, “My mother” or “My sister,”(H)
15 where then is my hope?(I)
Who can see any hope for me?
16 Will it go down to the gates of Sheol,(J)
or will we descend together to the dust?

Footnotes

  1. 17:2 Lit are with
  2. 17:3 Or Who is there that will shake hands with me?
  3. 17:6 Lit become a spitting to the faces
  4. 17:10 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read them

17 My spirit(A) is broken,
    my days are cut short,(B)
    the grave awaits me.(C)
Surely mockers(D) surround me;(E)
    my eyes must dwell on their hostility.

“Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.(F)
    Who else will put up security(G) for me?(H)
You have closed their minds to understanding;(I)
    therefore you will not let them triumph.
If anyone denounces their friends for reward,(J)
    the eyes of their children will fail.(K)

“God has made me a byword(L) to everyone,(M)
    a man in whose face people spit.(N)
My eyes have grown dim with grief;(O)
    my whole frame is but a shadow.(P)
The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused(Q) against the ungodly.
Nevertheless, the righteous(R) will hold to their ways,
    and those with clean hands(S) will grow stronger.(T)

10 “But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.(U)
11 My days have passed,(V) my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart(W)
12 turn night into day;(X)
    in the face of the darkness light is near.(Y)
13 If the only home I hope for is the grave,(Z)
    if I spread out my bed(AA) in the realm of darkness,(AB)
14 if I say to corruption,(AC) ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worm,(AD) ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
15 where then is my hope—(AE)
    who can see any hope for me?(AF)
16 Will it go down to the gates of death?(AG)
    Will we descend together into the dust?”(AH)