Yet the righteous holds to his way: Good News Translation follows the same wording as in verse 8a, making the righteous an ironical reference to Job’s friends: “Those who claim to be respectable.” Bible en français courant agrees basically with Good News Translation: “Let the faithful persevere, they say.” New English Bible and others understand the reference to be to the righteous in general who do not deviate from their chosen way: “In spite of all, the righteous man maintains his course.” New Jerusalem Bible avoids referring either to Job or to the friends, with “Anyone upright grows stronger step by step.” The righteous is represented by the person mentioned frequently in the Psalms as one who keeps the law. He is one who is faithful in his relationship to God and to what God requires. Translators who have made verse 8 refer to Job’s friends should continue to do so in verse 9, as in Good News Translation and others. If, however, the “upright” and the “innocent” in verse 8 were interpreted to be general, then verse 9 will be understood in the same way. Both understandings are acceptable. Accordingly we may translate as in Good News Translation, or say, for example, “And in spite of everything the good person will not fail,” “However, the person who trusts God will keep on trusting him,” or “Nevertheless, the person who follows God will not stumble.”

And he that has clean hands grows stronger and stronger: in 11.14 Zophar warned Job “If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away.” The man of clean hands is parallel to the righteous in line a. The removal of iniquity from the hands results in clean hands, which is to say the person is “upright, honest, good, respectable.” Grows stronger and stronger translates the Hebrew “adds strength,” which is moral, spiritual strength. In languages in which clean hands will have the sense of being upright, honest, and good, this line may be rendered, for example, “and the person who has clean hands becomes stronger,” “… grows stronger day by day,” “… becomes stronger all the time,” or “… becomes stronger in his spirit.”

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 .