Job 6:18
New International Version
Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go off into the wasteland and perish.

New Living Translation
The caravans turn aside to be refreshed, but there is nothing to drink, so they die.

English Standard Version
The caravans turn aside from their course; they go up into the waste and perish.

Berean Standard Bible
Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish.

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

New King James Version
The paths of their way turn aside, They go nowhere and perish.

New American Standard Bible
“The paths of their course wind along, They go up into wasteland and perish.

NASB 1995
“The paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish.

NASB 1977
“The paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish.

Legacy Standard Bible
The paths of their course wind along; They go up into a formless place and perish.

Amplified Bible
“The paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish. [Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]

Christian Standard Bible
Caravans turn away from their routes, go up into the desert, and perish.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Caravans turn away from their routes, go up into the desert, and perish.

American Standard Version
The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside; They go up into the waste, and perish.

Contemporary English Version
I am like a caravan, lost in the desert while searching for water.

English Revised Version
The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside; they go up into the waste, and perish.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They change their course. They go into a wasteland and disappear.

Good News Translation
Caravans get lost looking for water; they wander and die in the desert.

International Standard Version
Travelers divert in their route; they go into a wasteland and die.

Majority Standard Bible
Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish.

NET Bible
Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish.

New Heart English Bible
The caravans that travel beside them turn aside. They go up into the waste, and perish.

Webster's Bible Translation
The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.

World English Bible
The caravans that travel beside them turn away. They go up into the waste, and perish.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The paths turn aside of their way, "" They ascend into emptiness, and are lost.

Young's Literal Translation
Turn aside do the paths of their way, They ascend into emptiness, and are lost.

Smith's Literal Translation
The paths of their way will turn aside; they will go up into desolation and perish.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The paths of their steps are entangled: they shall walk in vain, and shall perish.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The paths of their steps are entangled; they will walk in vain and will perish.

New American Bible
Caravans wander from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish.

New Revised Standard Version
The caravans turn aside from their course; they go up into the waste, and perish.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The paths of their ways are winding; they go astray from their course and perish.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The paths of their ways will be twisted, and they will lead on in a trackless waste and be destroyed
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The paths of their way do wind, They go up into the waste, and are lost.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thus I also have been deserted of all; and I am ruined, and become an outcast.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Replies: My Complaint is Just
17but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat. 18Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish. 19The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it.…

Cross References
Proverbs 25:19
Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

Jeremiah 15:18
Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there.

Isaiah 41:17
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

Psalm 107:4-5
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell. / They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.

Lamentations 1:19
I called out to my lovers, but they have betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.

Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Psalm 146:3-4
Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. / When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Isaiah 30:1-3
“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. / They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade. / But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace.

Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. / But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

James 1:6-8
But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. / That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. / He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

2 Peter 2:17
These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.

Matthew 15:14
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Luke 6:49
But the one who hears My words and does not act on them is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation. The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it fell—and great was its destruction!”


Treasury of Scripture

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

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Ascend Camel-Trains Caravans Course Destruction Emptiness Lost Paths Perish Travel Turn Turned Waste Wasteland Way Wind
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Ascend Camel-Trains Caravans Course Destruction Emptiness Lost Paths Perish Travel Turn Turned Waste Wasteland Way Wind
Job 6
1. Job shows that his complaints are not causeless.
8. He wishes for death, wherein he is assured of comfort.
14. He reproves his friends of unkindness.














Caravans
In the ancient Near Eastern context, caravans were essential for trade and communication, often traveling long distances across deserts and through perilous terrains. The Hebrew word used here, "אֹרְחוֹת" (orḥot), refers to these groups of travelers or traders. Caravans symbolize the interconnectedness of communities and the reliance on established paths for survival and prosperity. Spiritually, this can be seen as a metaphor for the journey of faith, where believers travel together, supporting one another through life's challenges.

Turn aside
The phrase "turn aside" comes from the Hebrew "יַתְעֲוּ" (yatʿu), which implies a deviation or straying from the intended path. This can be interpreted as a warning against losing focus on one's spiritual journey. In a broader sense, it reflects the human tendency to stray from God's guidance, leading to spiritual peril. The imagery here is poignant, reminding believers of the importance of staying true to the path God has set before them.

From their routes
The "routes" or "paths" (Hebrew: "נְתִיבוֹתָם", netivotam) refer to the established and well-trodden ways that caravans would follow. These routes were critical for safe passage and successful trade. In a spiritual context, this can be seen as the divine path laid out by God for His followers. Deviating from these routes can lead to confusion and danger, emphasizing the need for adherence to God's Word and His commandments.

They go into the wasteland
The "wasteland" (Hebrew: "תֹּהוּ", tohu) is a desolate and barren place, often associated with chaos and emptiness. This imagery is powerful, illustrating the consequences of straying from God's path. Historically, the wasteland was a place of danger and death, lacking the resources needed for survival. Spiritually, it represents the void and despair that can result from turning away from God, highlighting the importance of remaining steadfast in faith.

And perish
The final phrase, "and perish" (Hebrew: "וַיֹּאבֵדוּ", vayovedu), underscores the ultimate consequence of turning away from the right path. To perish is to be lost, both physically and spiritually. This serves as a solemn reminder of the stakes involved in our spiritual journey. The use of this word emphasizes the gravity of the situation for those who stray from God's guidance, urging believers to remain vigilant and faithful.

(18) They go to nothing.--It is doubtful whether this applies to the streams or to the caravans. Thus, "The paths of their way are turned aside and come to nought;" or, "The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside, and go into the waste and perish." The nineteenth verse seems to suggest the latter as the more probable.

Verse 18. - The paths of their way are turned aside; rather, as in the Revised Version, the caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside. It seems impossible that the streams can be intended, since their paths are never "turned aside" - they simply shrink, fail, and dry up. But nothing is commoner than for caravans short of water to go out of their way in order to reach a wady, where they expect to be able to replenish their water-skins. If they are disappointed, if the wady is dry, they may be brought into great straits, and may even possibly perish. (For a probable instance, where dependence on a wady would, but for a miracle, have led to a great disaster, see 2 Kings 3:9-20.) They go to nothing, and perish; rather, they go up into the waste and perish. Having vainly sought water in the dry wady, they ascend out of it, and enter the broad waste of the desert, where they too often miserably perish.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Caravans
אָרְח֣וֹת (’ā·rə·ḥō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 734: A well-trodden road, a caravan

turn aside
יִ֭לָּ֣פְתוּ (yil·lā·p̄ə·ṯū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3943: To twist, turn, grasp with a twisting motion

from their routes;
דַּרְכָּ֑ם (dar·kām)
Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

they go
יַעֲל֖וּ (ya·‘ă·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

into the wasteland
בַתֹּ֣הוּ (ḇat·tō·hū)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8414: A desolation, desert, a worthless thing, in vain

and perish.
וְיֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ (wə·yō·ḇê·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish


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OT Poetry: Job 6:18 The caravans that travel beside them turn (Jb)
Job 6:17
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