The Bible
Job Chapter 17
1"My spirit
2Surely there are mockers with me. My eye dwells on their provocation.
3"Now give a pledge, be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?
4For you have hidden their heart from understanding, Therefore you shall not exalt them.
5He who denounces his friends for a prey, Even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6"But he has made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face.
7My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
8Upright men shall be astonished at this. The innocent shall stir up himself against the godless.
9Yet shall the righteous hold on his way. He who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger.
10But as for you all, come on now again; I shall not find a wise man among you.
11My days are past, my plans are broken off, as are the thoughts of my heart.
12They change the night into day, saying 'The light is near' in the presence of darkness.
13If I look for Sheol as my house, if I have spread my couch in the darkness, 14If I have said to corruption, 'You are my father;' to the worm, 'My mother,' and 'my sister;' 15where then is my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
16Shall it go down with me to the gates of Sheol, or descend together into the dust?"
The Bible text is a minor adaptation of the WEB
to include nuanced meanings of particular ancient words for placenames, God and others of special interest.
In general square brackets:[] are used to indicated words not found in the original text.
They also indicate the 5 books of the Psalms, and the letters in Psalm 119;
and a few passages considered by some to be of questionable authenticity, marked with an asterisk(*).
