[1] "My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out. The grave is ready to receive me. [2] I am surrounded by mockers. I watch how bitterly they taunt me. [3] "You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me. [4] You have closed their minds to understanding, but do not let them triumph. [5] They betray their friends for their own advantage, so let their children faint with hunger. [6] "God has made a mockery of me among the people; they spit in my face. [7] My eyes are swollen with weeping, and I am but a shadow of my former self. [8] The virtuous are horrified when they see me. The innocent rise up against the ungodly. [9] The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger. [10] "As for all of you, come back with a better argument, though I still won't find a wise man among you. [11] My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart's desires are broken. [12] These men say that night is day; they claim that the darkness is light. [13] What if I go to the grave and make my bed in darkness? [14] What if I call the grave my father, and the maggot my mother or my sister? [15] Where then is my hope? Can anyone find it? [16] No, my hope will go down with me to the grave. We will rest together in the dust!"
