Study Desk

"For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not abandon the fear of the Almighty.

To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

"My brothers have acted deceitfully like a wadi, Like the torrents of wadis which drain away,

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;

Which are darkened because of ice, And into which the snow melts.

Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:

"When they dry up, they vanish; When it is hot, they disappear from their place.

What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.

"The paths of their course wind along, They go up into wasteland and perish.

The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.

"The caravans of Tema looked, The travelers of Sheba hoped for them.

The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.

"They were put to shame, for they had trusted, They came there and were humiliated.

They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.

"Indeed, you have now become such, You see terrors and are afraid.

For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.

"Have I said, 'Give me something,' Or, 'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,'

Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?

Or, 'Save me from the hand of the enemy,' Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants'?

Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?