When the Grave Feels Like Home.

רוּחִ֣י חֻ֭בָּלָה יָמַ֥י נִזְעָ֗כוּ קְבָרִ֥ים לִֽי׃

“My spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me.

אִם־לֹ֣א הֲ֭תֻלִים עִמָּדִ֑י וּ֝בְהַמְּרוֹתָ֗ם תָּלַ֥ן עֵינִֽי׃

[2] Surely there are mockers about me, and my eye dwells on their provocation.

שִֽׂימָה־נָּ֭א עָרְבֵ֣נִי עִמָּ֑ךְ מִֽי ה֝֗וּא לְיָדִ֥י יִתָּקֵֽעַ׃

[3] “Lay down a pledge for me with you; who is there who will put up security for me?

כִּֽי־לִ֭בָּם צָפַ֣נְתָּ מִּשָּׂ֑כֶל עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן לֹ֣א תְרֹמֵֽם׃

[4] Since you have closed their hearts to understanding, therefore you will not let them triumph.

לְ֭חֵלֶק יַגִּ֣יד רֵעִ֑ים וְעֵינֵ֖י בָנָ֣יו תִּכְלֶֽנָה׃

[5] He who informs against his friends to get a share of their property— the eyes of his children will fail.

וְֽ֭הִצִּגַנִי לִמְשֹׁ֣ל עַמִּ֑ים וְתֹ֖פֶת לְפָנִ֣ים אֶֽהְיֶֽה׃

[6] “He has made me a byword of the peoples, and I am one before whom men spit.

וַתֵּ֣כַהּ מִכַּ֣עַשׂ עֵינִ֑י וִֽיצֻרַ֖י כַּצֵּ֣ל כֻּלָּֽם׃

[7] My eye has grown dim from vexation, and all my members are like a shadow.

יָשֹׁ֣מּוּ יְשָׁרִ֣ים עַל־זֹ֑את וְ֝נָקִ֗י עַל־חָנֵ֥ף יִתְעֹרָֽר׃

[8] The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent stirs himself up against the godless.

וְיֹאחֵ֣ז צַדִּ֣יק דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וּֽטֳהָר־יָ֝דַ֗יִם יֹסִ֥יף אֹֽמֶץ׃

[9] Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.

וְֽאוּלָ֗ם כֻּלָּ֣ם תָּ֭שֻׁבוּ וּבֹ֣אוּ נָ֑א וְלֹֽא־אֶמְצָ֖א בָכֶ֣ם חָכָֽם׃

[10] But you, come on again, all of you, and I shall not find a wise man among you.

יָמַ֣י עָ֭בְרוּ זִמֹּתַ֣י נִתְּק֑וּ מ֖וֹרָשֵׁ֣י לְבָבִֽי׃

[11] My days are past; my plans are broken off, the desires of my heart.

לַ֭יְלָה לְי֣וֹם יָשִׂ֑ימוּ א֝֗וֹר קָר֥וֹב מִפְּנֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

[12] They make night into day: ‘The light,’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’

אִם־אֲ֭קַוֶּה שְׁא֣וֹל בֵּיתִ֑י בַּ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ רִפַּ֥דְתִּי יְצוּעָֽי׃

[13] If I hope for Sheol as my house, if I make my bed in darkness,

לַשַּׁ֣חַת קָ֭רָאתִי אָ֣בִי אָ֑תָּה אִמִּ֥י וַ֝אֲחֹתִ֗י לָֽרִמָּֽה׃

[14] if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’

וְ֭אַיֵּה אֵפ֣וֹ תִקְוָתִ֑י וְ֝תִקְוָתִ֗י מִ֣י יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃

[15] where then is my hope? Who will see my hope?

בַּדֵּ֣י שְׁאֹ֣ל תֵּרַ֑דְנָה אִם־יַ֖חַד עַל־עָפָ֣ר נָֽחַת׃ ס

[16] Will it go down to the bars of Sheol? Shall we descend together into the dust?”