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

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

2 F or sure those with me make fun of me. My eyes see how they laugh at me.

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

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

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

4 F or You have kept their heart from understanding, so You will not honor them.

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

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

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

6 “ But He has made me an object of shame to the people. Men spit on me.

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

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

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

8 M en 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.

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

9 B ut the one who is right with God will hold to his way. And he who has clean hands will become 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 all of you try again, and I will not find a 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 plans are torn apart, even the wishes of my heart.

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

12 T hey make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ when there is darkness.

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

13 I f I look for the place of the dead as my home, I make my bed in the darkness.

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

14 I f I say to the grave, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother and my sister,’

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

15 t hen where is my hope? Who sees hope for me?

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

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

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