What is the Almighty that we should serve him?: this continues the quoted speech of the wicked, who now ask a question which can be rendered “Who does the Almighty God think he is that we should be his slaves?” Good News Translation remains less emotive with “They think there is no need to serve God.” Almighty translates the Hebrew Shaddai. See 5.17 for a discussion on Almighty. Both questions in verse 15 are rhetorical and expect a negative reply. The Septuagint translators omitted this verse, possibly because they regarded it as blasphemous, that is, speaking badly against God. The word translated serve is rendered “worship” by New English Bible, a meaning the word often carries, and fits better with the following line.

And what profit do we get if we pray to him? may also be expressed “What use is it for us to pray to him?” or “What good does it do for us…?” This question is asked in Malachi 3.14, where Good News Translation translates “What is the use of doing what he says…?” Good News Translation, which does not use direct speech, translates this line “nor any advantage in praying to him.” If translated as a rhetorical question, the verse may be rendered, for example, “Who is the Almighty God to expect us to serve him? He is no one at all! What advantage is there for us if we pray to him? There is none!”

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 .