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.

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

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

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

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

For You have hidden 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 speaks flattery to his friends, Even the eyes of his children will fail.

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 have become one in whose face 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 sorrow, And all my members are like shadows.

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

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

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

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

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

“But please, come back again, all of you, For I shall not find one 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 purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart.

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

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

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

If I wait for the grave as my house, If 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 say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ And to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister,’

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

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

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

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