17:6 He has made me 1 a byword 2 to people,
I am the one in whose face they spit. 3
17:7 My eyes have grown dim 4 with grief;
my whole frame 5 is but a shadow.
17:8 Upright men are appalled 6 at this;
the innocent man is troubled 7 with the godless.
17:9 But the righteous man holds to his way,
and the one with clean hands grows stronger. 8
17:10 “But turn, all of you, 9 and come 10 now! 11
I will not find a wise man among you.
17:11 My days have passed, my plans 12 are shattered,
even 13 the desires 14 of my heart.
17:12 These men 15 change 16 night into day;
they say, 17 ‘The light is near
in the face of darkness.’ 18
17:13 If 19 I hope for the grave to be my home,
if I spread out my bed in darkness,
17:14 If I cry 20 to corruption, 21 ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘My Mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
17:15 where then 22 is my hope?
And my hope, 23 who sees it?
17:16 Will 24 it 25 go down to the barred gates 26 of death?
Will 27 we descend 28 together into the dust?”