1 M y spirit hath been destroyed, My days extinguished -- graves for me.

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

2 I f not -- mockeries with me. And in their provocations mine eye lodgeth.

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

3 P lace, I pray Thee, my pledge with Thee; Who is he that striketh hand with me?

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

4 F or their heart Thou hast hidden From understanding, Therefore Thou dost not exalt them.

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

5 F or a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.

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

6 A nd he set me up for a proverb of the peoples, And a wonder before them I am.

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

7 A nd dim from sorrow is mine eye, And my members as a shadow all of them.

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

8 A stonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.

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

9 A nd the righteous layeth hold his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And -- dumb are they all.

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

10 R eturn, and come in, I pray you, And I find not among you a wise man.

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

11 M y days have passed by, My devices have been broken off, The possessions of my heart!

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

12 N ight for day they appoint, Light near because of darkness.

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

13 I f I wait -- Sheol my house, In darkness I have spread out my couch.

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

14 T o corruption I have called: -- `Thou my father.' `My mother' and `my sister' -- to the worm.

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

15 A nd where now my hope? Yea, my hope, who doth behold it?

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

16 t he parts of Sheol ye go down, If together on the dust we may rest.

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