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

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

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

For sure those with me make fun of me. My eyes see how they laugh at me.

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

“Promise that You will hear me. Who is there that will trust me?

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

For You have kept their heart from understanding, so You will not honor them.

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

If one speaks against friends to get money, the eyes of his children also will become weak.

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 an object of shame to the people. Men spit on me.

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

My eyes have become weak with sorrow. All the parts of my body are like a shadow.

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

Men who are right and good will be surprised and afraid at this. He who is without guilt will be moved to go against the sinful.

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

But the one who is right with God will hold to his way. And he who has clean hands will become stronger and stronger.

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

But all of you try again, and I will not find a 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 plans are torn apart, even the wishes of my heart.

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

They make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ when there is darkness.

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

If I look for the place of the dead as my home, 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 the grave, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother and my sister,’

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

then where is my hope? Who sees hope for me?

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

Will it go down with me to the place of the dead? Will we go down together into the dust?”