1 M y breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.

2 A re there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

“ Surely mockers are with me, And my eye gazes on their provocation.

3 L ay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

“Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself; Who is there that will be my guarantor?

4 F or thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

“For You have kept their heart from understanding, Therefore You will not exalt them.

5 H e that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

“He who informs against friends for a share of the spoil, The eyes of his children also will languish.

6 H e hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.

“But He has made me a byword of the people, And I am one at whom men spit.

7 M ine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

“My eye has also grown dim because of grief, And all my members are as a shadow.

8 U pright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

“The upright will be appalled at this, And the innocent will stir up himself against the godless.

9 T he righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

10 B ut as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

“But come again all of you now, For I do not find a wise man among you.

11 M y days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.

“My days are past, my plans are torn apart, Even the wishes of my heart.

12 T hey change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.

“They make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.

13 I f I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

“If I look for Sheol as my home, I make my bed in the darkness;

14 I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.

If I call to the pit, ‘You are my father’; To the worm, ‘my mother and my sister’;

15 A nd where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

Where now is my hope? And who regards my hope?

16 T hey shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

“ Will it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together go down into the dust?”