1“My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me.“My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct and the grave is ready for me.My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct, The grave is ready for me.2Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.Surely there are mockers with me. My eye dwells on their provocation.Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?Surely there are mockers with me, And mine eye dwelleth upon their provocation.3Give me, I pray, the pledge You demand. Who else will be my guarantor?“Now give a pledge. Be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself; Who is there that will strike hands with me?4You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them.For you have hidden their heart from understanding, therefore you will not exalt them.For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: Therefore shalt thou not exalt them.5If a man denounces his friends for a price, the eyes of his children will fail.He who denounces his friends for plunder, even the eyes of his children will fail.He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.He that denounceth his friends for a prey, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.6He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit.“But he has made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face.He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.But he hath made me a byword of the people; And they spit in my face.7My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow.My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, And all my members are as a shadow.8The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are stirred against the godless.Upright men will be astonished at this. The innocent will stir himself up against the godless.Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.Upright men shall be astonished at this, And the innocent shall stir up himself against the godless.9Yet a righteous one holds to his way, and the one with clean hands grows stronger.Yet the righteous will hold to his way. He who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.Yet shall the righteous hold on his way, And he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger.10But come back and try again, all of you. For I will not find a wise man among you.But as for you all, come back. I will not find a wise man among you.But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.But as for you all, come on now again; And I shall not find a wise man among you.11My days have passed; my plans are broken off—even the desires of my heart.My days are past. My plans are broken off, as are the thoughts of my heart.My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.My days are past, my purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart.12They have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness.They change the night into day, saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness.They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.They change the night into day: The light, say they, is near unto the darkness.13If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness,If I look for Sheol as my house, if I have spread my couch in the darkness,If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.If I look for Sheol as my house; If I have spread my couch in the darkness;14and say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’if I have said to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ and ‘My sister,’I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.If I have said to corruption, Thou art my father; To the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister;15where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?where then is my hope? As for my hope, who will see it?And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?Where then is my hope? And as for my hope, who shall see it?16Will it go down to the gates of Sheol? Will we go down together into the dust?”Shall it go down with me to the gates of Sheol, or descend together into the dust?”They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.It shall go down to the bars of Sheol, When once there is rest in the dust.
Berean Standard Bible (public domain).World English Bible (public domain).King James Version (public domain in the US).American Standard Version, 1901 (public domain).