Job 17-18

Job 17

¹My spirit is broken, my days are ended, the last resting-place is ready for me.

²Truly, those who make sport of me are round about me, and my eyes become dark because of their bitter laughing.

³Be pleased, now, to be responsible for me to yourself; for there is no other who will put his hand in mine.

⁴You have kept their hearts from wisdom: for this cause you will not give them honour.

⁵As for him who is false to his friend for a reward, light will be cut off from the eyes of his children.

⁶He has made me a word of shame to the peoples; I have become a mark for their sport.

⁷My eyes have become dark because of my pain, and all my body is wasted to a shade.

⁸The upright are surprised at this, and he who has done no wrong is troubled because of the evil-doers.

⁹Still the upright keeps on his way, and he who has clean hands gets new strength.

¹⁰But come back, now, all of you, come; and I will not see a wise man among you.

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

¹²They are changing night into day; they say, The light is near the dark.

¹³If I am waiting for the underworld as my house, if I have made my bed in the dark;

¹⁴If I say to the earth, You are my father; and to the worm, My mother and my sister;

¹⁵Where then is my hope? and who will see my desire?

¹⁶Will they go down with me into the underworld? Will we go down together into the dust?

Job 18

¹Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,

²How long will it be before you have done talking? Get wisdom, and then we will say what is in our minds.

³Why do we seem as beasts in your eyes, and as completely without knowledge?

⁴But come back, now, come: you who are wounding yourself in your passion, will the earth be given up because of you, or a rock be moved out of its place?

⁵For the light of the sinner is put out, and the flame of his fire is not shining.

⁶The light is dark in his tent, and the light shining over him is put out.

⁷The steps of his strength become short, and by his design destruction overtakes him.

⁸His feet take him into the net, and he goes walking into the cords.

⁹His foot is taken in the net; he comes into its grip.

¹⁰The twisted cord is put secretly in the earth to take him, and the cord is placed in his way.

¹¹He is overcome by fears on every side, they go after him at every step.

¹²His strength is made feeble for need of food, and destruction is waiting for his falling footstep.

¹³His skin is wasted by disease, and his body is food for the worst of diseases.

¹⁴He is pulled out of his tent where he was safe, and he is taken away to the king of fears.

¹⁵In his tent will be seen that which is not his, burning stone is dropped on his house.

¹⁶Under the earth his roots are dry, and over it his branch is cut off.

¹⁷His memory is gone from the earth, and in the open country there is no knowledge of his name.

¹⁸He is sent away from the light into the dark; he is forced out of the world.

¹⁹He has no offspring or family among his people, and in his living-place there is no one of his name.

²⁰At his fate those of the west are shocked, and those of the east are overcome with fear.

²¹Truly, these are the houses of the sinner, and this is the place of him who has no knowledge of God.