1 ¶ My breath is corrupt, my days are cut off, and the grave is ready for me.

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

2 N ow there are only mockers with me, upon whose bitterness my eye continues to gaze.

Are not mockers with me? And does not my eye dwell on their provocation?

3 P ut up now, give me surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

“Now put down a pledge for me with Yourself. Who is he who will shake hands with me?

4 F or with these, thou hast hid their heart from understanding; therefore, thou shalt not exalt them.

For You have hidden their heart from understanding; Therefore You will not exalt them.

5 H e that speaks flattery to his neighbour, even the eyes of his sons shall fail.

He who speaks flattery to his friends, Even the eyes of his children will fail.

6 H e has made me a byword of the peoples; and before them I have been as a tambourine.

“But He has made me a byword of the people, And I have become one in whose face men spit.

7 M y eyes are dim by reason of sorrow, and all my thoughts are as a shadow.

My eye has also grown dim because of sorrow, And all my members are like shadows.

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

Upright men are astonished at this, And the innocent stirs himself up against the hypocrite.

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

Yet the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.

10 ¶ But return all of you, and come now; for I shall not find one that is wise among you.

“But please, come back again, all of you, For I shall not find one wise man among you.

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

My days are past, My purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart.

12 T hey changed the night into day; the light is short because of the darkness.

They change the night into day; ‘The light is near,’ they say, in the face of darkness.

13 I f I wait, Sheol is my house; I have made my bed in the darkness.

If I wait for the grave as my house, If I make my bed in the darkness,

14 I have said to the pit, Thou art my father; to the worms, my mother, and my sister.

If I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ And to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister,’

15 A nd where shall my hope be now? As for my hope, who shall see it?

Where then is my hope? As for my hope, who can see it?

16 T hey shall go down to the bars of Sheol, and together they shall rest in the dust.

Will they go down to the gates of Sheol? Shall we have rest together in the dust?”