Job 17

Job Says He Has Become a Proverb

1“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The 12grave is ready for me.23Mockers are certainly with me, And my eye 4gazes on their provocation.

3“Make a pledge 5for me with Yourself; Who is there that will 6be my guarantor?4For You have 78kept their hearts away from understanding; Therefore You will not exalt them.5He who 9informs against friends for a share of the spoils, The 10eyes of his children also will perish.

6“But He has made me a 11proverb among the people, And I am 12one at whom people 13spit.7My eye has also become 14inexpressive because of grief, And all my 15body parts are like a shadow.8The upright will be appalled at this, And the 16innocent will stir himself up against the godless.9Nevertheless 17the righteous will hold to his way, And 18the one who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.10But come again all of 19you now, For I 20do not find a wise man among you.11My 21days 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 2223Sheol as my home, I 24make my bed in the darkness;14If I call to the 25grave, ‘You are my father’; To the 26maggot, ‘my mother and my sister’;15Where then is 27my hope? And who looks at my hope?1628Will it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together 29go down into the dust?”