Job 6:14–21

“He who withholds kindness from a friend

forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

My brothers are treacherous as a torrent-bed,

as torrential streams that pass away,

which are dark with ice,

and where the snow hides itself.

When they melt, they disappear;

when it is hot, they vanish from their place.

The caravans turn aside from their course;

they go up into the waste and perish.

The caravans of Tema look,

the travelers of Sheba hope.

They are ashamed because they were confident;

they come there and are disappointed.

For you have now become nothing;

you see my calamity and are afraid.

“Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend

forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,

as the streams that overflow

when darkened by thawing ice

and swollen with melting snow,

but that stop flowing in the dry season,

and in the heat vanish from their channels.

Caravans turn aside from their routes;

they go off into the wasteland and perish.

The caravans of Tema look for water,

the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope.

They are distressed, because they had been confident;

they arrive there, only to be disappointed.

Now you too have proved to be of no help;

you see something dreadful and are afraid.

A despairing man should receive loyalty from his friends,

even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty.

My brothers are as treacherous as a wadi,

as seasonal streams that overflow

and become darkened because of ice,

and the snow melts into them.

The wadis evaporate in warm weather;

they disappear from their channels in hot weather.

Caravans turn away from their routes,

go up into the desert, and perish.

The caravans of Tema look for these streams.

The traveling merchants of Sheba hope for them.

They are ashamed because they had been confident of finding water.

When they arrive there, they are disappointed.

So this is what you have now become to me.

When you see something dreadful, you are afraid.

“One should be kind to a fainting friend,

but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty.

My brothers, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook

that overflows its banks in the spring

when it is swollen with ice and melting snow.

But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears.

The brook vanishes in the heat.

The caravans turn aside to be refreshed,

but there is nothing to drink, so they die.

The caravans from Tema search for this water;

the travelers from Sheba hope to find it.

They count on it but are disappointed.

When they arrive, their hopes are dashed.

You, too, have given no help.

You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid.

“Loyal love should come for the afflicted from his friend,

even if he forsakes the fear of Shaddai.

My companions are treacherous like a torrent-bed;

like a streambed of wadis they flow away,

which are growing dark because of ice upon them,

it will pile up snow.

In time they dry up, they disappear;

when it is hot, they vanish from their place.

The paths of their way wind around;

they go up into the wasteland, and they perish.

The caravans of Tema looked;

the traveling merchants of Sheba hope for them.

They are disappointed, because they trusted;

they came here and they are confounded.

“For now you have become such;

you see terrors, and you fear.

To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend;

But he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook,

And as the stream of brooks they pass away;

Which are blackish by reason of the ice,

And wherein the snow is hid:

What time they wax warm, they vanish:

When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.

The paths of their way are turned aside;

They go to nothing, and perish.

The troops of Tema looked,

The companies of Sheba waited for them.

They were confounded because they had hoped;

They came thither, and were ashamed.

For now ye are nothing;

Ye see my casting down, and are afraid.