1 “ My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct, And the grave is ready for me.

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

2 S urely there are mockers with me. My eye dwells on their provocation.

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

3 “ Now give a pledge, be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?

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

4 F or you have hidden their heart from understanding, Therefore you shall not exalt them.

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

5 H e who denounces his friends for plunder, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.

He that speaks flattery to his neighbour, even the eyes of his sons shall fail.

6 “ But he has made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face.

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

7 M y eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.

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

8 U pright men shall be astonished at this. The innocent shall stir up himself against the godless.

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

9 Y et shall the righteous hold on his way. He who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger.

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

10 B ut as for you all, come on now again; I shall not find a wise man among you.

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

11 M y days are past, my plans are broken off, as are the thoughts of my heart.

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

12 T hey change the night into day, saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness.

They changed the night into day; the light is short because of the darkness.

13 I f I look for Sheol as my house, if I have spread my couch in the darkness,

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

14 I f I have said to corruption, ‘You are my father;’ to the worm, ‘My mother,’ and ‘my sister;’

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

15 w here then is my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

And where shall my hope be now? As for my hope, who shall see it?

16 S hall it go down with me to the gates of Sheol, or descend together into the dust?”

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