They conceive mischief and bring forth evil: chapter 15 begins with Eliphaz accusing Job of filling his belly with the east wind (15.2). He now ends his speech saying “their belly (Revised Standard Version heart) prepares deceit.” Psalm 7.14 expresses the same sentiment, “The wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief, and brings forth lies.” In Job 4.8 the same thought is expressed as “Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.” See also Isaiah 59.4. Good News Translation does not attempt to retain the productivity image but reproduces something of the progression: “These are the men who plan trouble and do evil.”

And their heart prepares deceit: see above concerning heart. Translators who are striving to translate in poetry will want to retain the images in so far as they are suitable in their own languages, or else supply equivalent images. New English Bible keeps the images in a slightly modified form: “They conceive mischief, and give birth to trouble, and the child of their womb is deceit.” If the reproduction images cannot be kept, it may be necessary to say something like “They are the people who think up trouble to cause others; they succeed in doing evil deeds, and their hearts are full of deceit.”

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 .