1 MY breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
2 Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?
3 Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?
4 For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
5 He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6 He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.
7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.
8 Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.
9 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.

1My breath is corrupt, my dayes are extinct, the graues are ready for me.

2Are there not mockers with mee? and doeth not mine eye continue in their prouocation?

3Lay downe now, put me in a suretie with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

4For thou hast hid their heart from vnderstanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

5Hee that speaketh flattery to his friends, euen the eyes of his children shall faile.

6He hath made me also a by-word of the people, and afore time I was as a tabret.

7Mine eye also is dimme by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

8Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stirre vp himselfe against the hypocrite.

9The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath cleane hands shalbe stronger, and stronger.

10But as for you all, doe you returne, and come now, for I cannot find one wise man among you.

11My dayes are past, my purposes are broken off, euen the thoughts of my heart:

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

13If I waite, the graue is mine house: I haue made my bedde in the darknesse.

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

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

16They shall goe downe to the barres of the pit, when our rest together is in the dus

I == Ps 88:3-4

II == 1st Sam 1:6-7

III == Prov 6:1 ; 17:18 ; 22:26

 

 

 

 

VI == Job 30:9

 

VII == Ps 6:7 ; 31:9

 

 

IX == Ps 24:4

 

X == Job 6:29

 

 

XI == Job 7:6 ; 9:25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVI == Job 3:17-19 ; 18:13

1 My spirit is broken, my lamp of life extinguished; my burial is at hand.

2 I am indeed mocked, and, as their provocation mounts, my eyes grow dim.

3 Grant me one to offer you a pledge on my behalf: who is there that will give surety for me?

4 You darken their minds to knowledge; therefore they do not understand.

5 My lot is described as evil,

6 and I am made a byword of the people; their object lesson I have become.

7 My eye has grown blind with anguish, and all my frame is shrunken to a shadow.

8 Upright men are astonished at this, and the innocent aroused against the wicked.

9 Yet the righteous shall hold to his way, and he who has clean hands increase in strength.

10 But turn now, and come on again; for I shall not find a wise man among you!

11 My days are passed away, my plans are at an end, the cherished purposes of my heart.

12 Such men change the night into day; where there is darkness they talk of approaching light.

13 If I look for the nether world as my dwelling, if I spread my couch in the darkness,

14 If I must call corruption "my father," and the maggot "my mother" and "my sister,"

15 Where then is my hope, and my prosperity, who shall see?

16 Will they descend with me into the nether world? Shall we go down together into the dust?

v 1,2. Here and 16:22, Job thinks death is imminent. He is aware of terrible breath  and his friends are mockers.

 

v 3-5. Though God had been against him, only God could pledge that if he was tried, he would be treated fairly. His faithless friends thought they would be rewarded for their defense of God, but more likely their children would suffer punishment.

v 6-9. Some sneered and spit upon him in the ash heap, so that his eyes were blind with tears and he was emaciated. If his friends were upright, they would be appalled at this, but he would be strengthened in his conviction he was right with God. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 10-16. The words of his friends had proven them not wise, but Job challenges them to try again to find his wrongdoing. He knew they could not, and their only hope for him was to repent, so he lapsed back into hopelessness. He had stated before that he did not think he could ever recover, so he thought his only hope would be death, which would end his physical suffering.