Job 17 - Easy To Read Version

¹ My spirit is broken;I am ready to give up.My life is almost gone,the grave is waiting for me.

² People stand around meand laugh at me.I watch them as they teaseand insult me.

³ “God, show me that you really support me.\par No other person will support me.\par

⁴ You have closed my friends’ minds\par and they don’t understand.\par Please don’t let them win.\par

⁵ You know what people say,\par ‘A man neglects his own children\par to help his friends.’ {\cf2\super [32]} \par But my friends have turned against me.\par

⁶ God has made my name\par a bad word to everyone.\par People spit in my face.\par

⁷ My eyes have become almost blind\par because I am very sad and in great pain.\par My whole body has become very thin,\par like a shadow.\par

⁸ Good people are upset about this.\par Innocent people are upset at people\par that don’t care about God.\par

⁹ But good people continue to live right.\par Innocent people will become stronger.\par

¹⁰ “But come on, all of you,\par try to show me that it is all my fault.\par None of you are wise.\par

¹¹ My life is passing away.\par My plans are destroyed.\par My hope is gone.\par

¹² But my friends are all mixed up.\par They think night is day.\par They think darkness drives away\par the light.\par

¹³ “I might hope for the grave\par to be my new home.\par I might hope to make my bed\par in the dark grave.\par

¹⁴ I might say to the grave,\par ‘You are my father,’\par and to the worms,\par ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister.’\par

¹⁵ But if that is my only hope\par then I have no hope at all.\par If that is my only hope\par then people have found me\par no hope at all.\par

¹⁶ \{Will my hope die with me?\}\par Will it also go down to the place of death?\par Will we go down into the dirt together?”\par