Job 17

King James Version

Full text for Job Chapter 17

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?

3Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who [is] he [that] will strike hands with me?

4For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt [them].

5He that speaketh flattery to [his] friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

6He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.

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

8Upright [men] shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

9The 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.

11My days are past, my purposes are broken off, [even] the thoughts of my heart.

12They change the night into day: the light [is] short because of darkness.

13If I wait, the grave [is] mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

14I have said to corruption, Thou [art] my father: to the worm, [Thou art] my mother, and my sister.

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

16They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when [our] rest together [is] in the dust.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Job laments his failing health and imminent death, feeling mocked by his companions. He challenges their lack of wisdom and expresses his conviction that the grave is his only immediate future. Despite his despair, he asserts that the righteous will ultimately persevere.

Medium Summary

Job, in deep distress, describes his body as corrupt and his days as extinct, anticipating the grave. He feels constantly provoked by his friends, whom he perceives as lacking understanding, suggesting God has hidden truth from them. Job asserts his own integrity, declaring that upright men will be astonished by his suffering, and the righteous will grow stronger. He challenges his companions to offer true wisdom, finding none among them. His purposes are broken, and his hope is lost, as he embraces the darkness of the grave as his only dwelling. He concludes that all will descend to the dust, where their rest will be.

Long Summary

Job opens by lamenting his severe physical decay, stating his breath is corrupt, his days are extinct, and the grave awaits him. He feels perpetually mocked by his companions, whose provocations weigh heavily on him. Job challenges them to provide surety for him, implying that God has deliberately withheld understanding from their hearts, thus preventing their exaltation. He warns against those who flatter friends, predicting their children will suffer. Job describes himself as a byword, his eyes dim with sorrow, and his body reduced to a mere shadow. Despite his personal suffering, he expresses a belief that upright men will be astonished by his plight, and the innocent will rise against the hypocrite. He maintains that the righteous will hold to their path and those with clean hands will gain strength. Job then directly confronts his friends, stating he finds no wisdom among them. He reflects on his broken purposes and thoughts, feeling as though his life's light is consumed by darkness. He explicitly embraces the grave as his future home, making his bed in darkness and acknowledging corruption and worms as his kin. Job questions the very existence of his hope, concluding that it is unseen and lost. He anticipates that all, including himself and his companions, will descend to the "bars of the pit," where their collective rest will be in the dust.

Core Concepts

  • Imminent DeathJob repeatedly speaks of his body's decay, his breath being corrupt, and the grave being ready for him, indicating his strong sense of approaching death.
  • Friends' ProvocationJob feels continuously mocked and provoked by his companions, whom he believes lack true understanding and offer no wise counsel.
  • Loss of HopeJob explicitly questions 'where is now my hope?' and concludes that it is unseen, signifying a profound despair regarding his earthly future.
  • Vindication of the RighteousDespite his suffering, Job asserts that upright men will be astonished, and the righteous will hold their way and grow stronger, hinting at a future moral clarity or divine justice.
  • Embrace of the GraveJob describes the grave as his house and his bed in darkness, even personifying corruption and worms as his family, demonstrating his resignation to death as his immediate reality.
  • Lack of WisdomJob directly challenges his friends, stating he cannot find a single wise man among them, highlighting his frustration with their inability to comprehend his situation or offer helpful advice.