17 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.

Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

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

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

10 But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

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

12 They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.

13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

14 I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.

15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

18 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?

Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.

The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.

The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.

10 The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

12 His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

13 It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

14 His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.

15 It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

16 His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

19 He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

20 They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.

21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

17 1 Job sayeth that he consumeth away, and yet doth patiently abide it. 10 He exhorteth his friends to repentance, 13 showing that he looketh out for death.

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

There are none but [a]mockers with me, and mine eye continueth in [b]their bitterness.

[c]Lay down now, and put me in surety for thee: who is he, that [d]will touch mine hand?

For thou hast hid their heart from [e]understanding: therefore shalt thou not set them up on high.

[f]For the eyes of his children shall fail, that speaketh flattery to his friends.

He hath also made me a [g]byword of the people, and I am as a tabret [h]before them.

Mine eye therefore is dim for grief, and all my strength is like a shadow.

The righteous shall be astonied at [i]this, and the innocent shall be moved against the hypocrite.

But the righteous will hold his [j]way, and he whose hands are pure, shall increase his strength.

10 All [k]you therefore turn you, and come now, and I shall not find one wise among you.

11 My days are past, mine enterprises are broken, and the thoughts of mine heart

12 Have changed the [l]night for the day, and the light that approached, for darkness.

13 Though I hope, [m]yet the grave shall be mine house, and I shall make my bed in the dark.

14 I shall say to corruption, Thou art my [n]father, and to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister.

15 Where is then now mine hope? or who shall consider the thing that I hoped for?

16 [o]They shall go down into the bottom of the pit: surely it shall lie together in the dust.

18 1 Bildad rehearseth the pains of the unfaithful and wicked.

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

When will [p]ye make an end of your words? [q]cause us to understand, and then we will speak.

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and are vile in your sight?

Thou art [r]as one that teareth his soul in his anger. Shall the [s]earth be forsaken for thy sake? or the rock removed out of his place?

Yea, the light of the wicked shall be [t]quenched, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

The light shall be dark in his dwelling, and his candle shall be put out with him.

The steps of his strength shall be restrained, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

For he is taken in the net by his feet, and he [u]walketh upon the snares.

The grenne shall take him by the heel, and the chief shall come upon him.

10 A snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

11 Fearfulness shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

12 His strength shall be [v]famine: and destruction shall be ready at his side.

13 It shall devour the inner parts of his skin, and the [w]firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

14 His hope shall be rooted out of his dwelling, and shall cause him to go to the [x]king of fear.

15 Fear shall dwell in his house (because it is not [y]his) [z]and brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

16 His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut down.

17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

18 They shall drive him out of the [aa]light unto darkness, and chase him out of the world.

19 He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any posterity in his dwellings.

20 The posterity shall be astonied at his [ab]day, and fear shall come upon the ancient.

21 Surely such are the habitations of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

Footnotes

  1. Job 17:2 Instead of comfort, being now at death’s door, he had but them that mocked at him, and discouraged him.
  2. Job 17:2 I see still that they seek but to vex me.
  3. Job 17:3 He reasoneth with God as a man beside himself, to the intent that his cause might be brought to light.
  4. Job 17:3 And answers for thee?
  5. Job 17:4 That these mine afflictions are thy just judgments, though man know not the cause.
  6. Job 17:5 He that flattereth a man, and only judgeth him happy in his prosperity, shall not himself only but in his posterity be punished.
  7. Job 17:6 God hath made all the world to speak of me, because of mine afflictions.
  8. Job 17:6 That is, as a continual sound in their ears.
  9. Job 17:8 To wit, when they see the godly punished: but in the end they shalt come to understanding, and know what shall be the reward of the hypocrite.
  10. Job 17:9 That is, will not be discouraged, considering that the godly are punished as well as the wicked.
  11. Job 17:10 Job speaketh to them three that came to comfort him.
  12. Job 17:12 That is, have brought me sorrow instead of comfort.
  13. Job 17:13 Though I should hope to come from adversity to prosperity, as your discourse pretendeth.
  14. Job 17:14 I have no more hope in father, mother, sister, or any worldly thing: for the dust and worms shall be to me instead of them.
  15. Job 17:16 All worldly hope and prosperity fail which you say, are only signs of God’s favor: but seeing that these things perish, I set mine hope in God and in the life everlasting.
  16. Job 18:2 Which count yourselves just, as Job 12:4.
  17. Job 18:2 Whom you take to be but beasts, as Job 12:7.
  18. Job 18:4 That is, like a madman.
  19. Job 18:4 Shall God change the order of nature for thy sake, by dealing with thee otherwise than he doth with all men?
  20. Job 18:5 When the wicked is in his prosperity, then God changeth his state: and this is his ordinary working for their sins.
  21. Job 18:8 Meaning, that the wicked are in continual danger.
  22. Job 18:12 That which should nourish him shall be consumed by famine.
  23. Job 18:13 That is, some strong and violent death shall consume his strength: or as the Hebrew word signifieth, his members or parts.
  24. Job 18:14 That is, with most great fear.
  25. Job 18:15 Meaning, not truly come by.
  26. Job 18:15 Though all the world would favor him, yet God would destroy him and his.
  27. Job 18:18 He shall fall from prosperity to adversity.
  28. Job 18:20 When they shall see what came unto him.

17 My spirit(A) is broken,
    my days are cut short,(B)
    the grave awaits me.(C)
Surely mockers(D) surround me;(E)
    my eyes must dwell on their hostility.

“Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.(F)
    Who else will put up security(G) for me?(H)
You have closed their minds to understanding;(I)
    therefore you will not let them triumph.
If anyone denounces their friends for reward,(J)
    the eyes of their children will fail.(K)

“God has made me a byword(L) to everyone,(M)
    a man in whose face people spit.(N)
My eyes have grown dim with grief;(O)
    my whole frame is but a shadow.(P)
The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused(Q) against the ungodly.
Nevertheless, the righteous(R) will hold to their ways,
    and those with clean hands(S) will grow stronger.(T)

10 “But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.(U)
11 My days have passed,(V) my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart(W)
12 turn night into day;(X)
    in the face of the darkness light is near.(Y)
13 If the only home I hope for is the grave,(Z)
    if I spread out my bed(AA) in the realm of darkness,(AB)
14 if I say to corruption,(AC) ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worm,(AD) ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
15 where then is my hope—(AE)
    who can see any hope for me?(AF)
16 Will it go down to the gates of death?(AG)
    Will we descend together into the dust?”(AH)

Bildad

18 Then Bildad the Shuhite(AI) replied:

“When will you end these speeches?(AJ)
    Be sensible, and then we can talk.
Why are we regarded as cattle(AK)
    and considered stupid in your sight?(AL)
You who tear yourself(AM) to pieces in your anger,(AN)
    is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
    Or must the rocks be moved from their place?(AO)

“The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;(AP)
    the flame of his fire stops burning.(AQ)
The light in his tent(AR) becomes dark;(AS)
    the lamp beside him goes out.(AT)
The vigor(AU) of his step is weakened;(AV)
    his own schemes(AW) throw him down.(AX)
His feet thrust him into a net;(AY)
    he wanders into its mesh.
A trap seizes him by the heel;
    a snare(AZ) holds him fast.(BA)
10 A noose(BB) is hidden for him on the ground;
    a trap(BC) lies in his path.(BD)
11 Terrors(BE) startle him on every side(BF)
    and dog(BG) his every step.
12 Calamity(BH) is hungry(BI) for him;
    disaster(BJ) is ready for him when he falls.(BK)
13 It eats away parts of his skin;(BL)
    death’s firstborn devours his limbs.(BM)
14 He is torn from the security of his tent(BN)
    and marched off to the king(BO) of terrors.(BP)
15 Fire resides[a] in his tent;(BQ)
    burning sulfur(BR) is scattered over his dwelling.
16 His roots dry up below(BS)
    and his branches wither above.(BT)
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;(BU)
    he has no name(BV) in the land.(BW)
18 He is driven from light into the realm of darkness(BX)
    and is banished(BY) from the world.(BZ)
19 He has no offspring(CA) or descendants(CB) among his people,
    no survivor(CC) where once he lived.(CD)
20 People of the west are appalled(CE) at his fate;(CF)
    those of the east are seized with horror.
21 Surely such is the dwelling(CG) of an evil man;(CH)
    such is the place(CI) of one who does not know God.”(CJ)

Footnotes

  1. Job 18:15 Or Nothing he had remains