Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty…? is literally “Why have times not been hidden from Shaddai?” The Hebrew word for times is translated by Revised Standard Version as times of judgment and by Good News Translation as “time for judgment,” which give the complete sense in the context. The Hebrew verb for “hidden” may also be translated “store up, reserve,” as in 15.10; 21.19, and therefore Revised Standard Version has kept. The meaning is therefore “Why doesn’t God fix a time to judge evil people?” God’s judgment should be applied to the list of exploiters Job will go on to enumerate in verses 3-17. Dhorme follows the Septuagint in this line: “Why are times hidden from the Almighty?” However, this sense is incomplete, and it is better to follow Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation. This line may also be rendered as a negative statement; for example, “God Almighty does not fix a time to judge wicked people” or “God Almighty does not say when he will judge the wicked.” The line may also be translated as an obligation placed on God: “God Almighty should fix a time to judge the wicked.”

And why do those who know him never see his days?: in Psalm 36.10 “those who know thee” is paralleled in the following line by “the upright of heart.” The same sense applies here, so that those who know him are his “followers, the faithful, the upright,” or “those who serve him” (Good News Translation). Revised Standard Version retains the negative in both lines. Never see his days means they never see God acting against lawless or evil people. His days, parallel with times in line a, refers to God’s act of judging. God’s faithful ones do not see him pronouncing judgment on evildoers, because God fails to interfere in these matters and allows the wicked to have their way. Good News Translation does not have a parallel clause in line b but makes the whole line an explanation of “time for judging” in line a. This line may be rendered, for example, “and why don’t God’s followers see him judging sinners?” or “why don’t his faithful ones see him carry out justice?” The line may also be rendered as a negative statement: “and those who serve him do not see him judge the wicked.”

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 .