Let my enemy be as the wicked: the same words translated wicked and unrighteous in the following line are found in parallel in Job’s speech in 16.11. Dhorme believes this fact connects verse 7 to verse 6, and so this is still the speech of Job. This line says that my enemy should suffer, that is, they ought to have the same fate as the wicked. Good News Translation uses the passive in line b “be punished,” which will often have to be shifted to the active with God as the actor: “May God punish my enemies (cause them to suffer) the way he punishes the wicked.”

And let him that rises up against me be as the unrighteous: him that rises up translates a Hebrew participle which may be rendered “my opponents” or “those who … fight against me,” as in Good News Translation. Be as the unrighteous is parallel in meaning to the expression be as the wicked in line a. They are to suffer the same fate. Good News Translation has brought the two parallel expressions together in line b as “be punished like wicked, unrighteous men.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .