Job 17
Legacy Standard Bible
Job Seeks Hope
17 “My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished;
The [a](A)grave is ready for me.
2 (B)Surely mockers are with me,
And my eye [b]gazes on their provocation.
3 “Establish, now, a pledge (C)for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will clap my hand in pledge?
4 For You have (D)hidden their heart from insight,
Therefore You will not exalt them.
5 He who (E)informs against friends for a share of the spoil,
The (F)eyes of his children also will come to an end.
6 “But He has made me a (G)byword of the people,
And I am [c]one at whom men (H)spit.
7 My eye has also grown (I)dim because of grief,
And all my (J)members are as a shadow.
8 The upright will be appalled at this,
And the (K)innocent will stir up himself against the godless.
9 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?”
Job 17
Revised Standard Version
Job Prays for Relief
17 My spirit is broken, my days are extinct,
the grave is ready for me.
2 Surely there are mockers about me,
and my eye dwells on their provocation.
3 “Lay down a pledge for me with thyself;
who is there that will give surety for me?
4 Since thou hast closed their minds to understanding,
therefore thou wilt not let them triumph.
5 He 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.
7 My eye has grown dim from grief,
and all my members are like a shadow.
8 Upright men are appalled at this,
and the innocent stirs himself up against the godless.
9 Yet the righteous holds to his way,
and he that has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.
10 But you, come on again, all of you,
and I shall not find a wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my plans are broken off,
the desires of my heart.
12 They make night into day;
‘The light,’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’[a]
13 If I look for Sheol as my house,
if I spread my couch in darkness,
14 if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
15 where then is my hope?
Who will see my hope?
16 Will it go down to the bars of Sheol?
Shall we descend together into the dust?”
Footnotes
- Job 17:12 Heb obscure
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Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.