Lay down a pledge for me with thyself translates the Hebrew “lay down, pledge me.” The language is that of the law court. Job appears now to address God and ask him to act as his guarantor. A guarantor is a friend or relative who provides bail money to obtain a prisoner’s release and guarantee his good conduct. Good News Translation does not keep the legal images. Bible en français courant says “O God, bring me your own guarantee.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “God, do you provide bail? Be my surety.” Other translation models are: “God, pay the price to have me released,” “God, provide the money to free me from prison,” or “Pay the price to set me free.”

Who is there that will give surety for me? translates an idiomatic expression, “who will strike hands with me?” Good News Translation translates this same expression in Proverbs 6.1; 17.18; 22.26, as “responsible for someone else’s debts.” This line is a question whose expected answer is “No one!” Good News Translation translates the line as a negative statement: “There is no one else to support what I say.” Bible en français courant keeps the question: “Aside from you, who else would want to involve himself for me?” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch also asks a question and substitutes a different metaphor: “Who else puts his hand in the fire for me?” Job’s only hope depends on whether God himself will be willing to commit himself on Job’s behalf. This line may also be expressed, for example, “Is there anyone else who will do this for me?” or as a statement, “Nobody else will speak on my behalf.”

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 .