The voice of the nobles was hushed: nobles translates a word used in 31.37, where Revised Standard Version translates “prince.” The term suggests a leader who is below the rank of the “leaders” mentioned in verse 9, and in English, nobles is adequate. However, the context is most likely a town meeting, and Good News Translation distinguishes between the two bodies of officials as “leaders” in verse 9a and “the most important men” here. Although the verb here is the same as the verb in verse 8a, where it is translated as “withdrew,” it cannot have that meaning here; but hushed translates it well. This line may also be expressed as “the important men of the town became silent” or “the big men of the village stopped talking.”

And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth: in Psalm 137.6 the psalmist prays “Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you.” This entire line is reduced to “kept silent” by Good News Translation and attached to the first line of the verse. New Jerusalem Bible says “their tongues stayed still in their mouths.” In translation it is important to use a figurative expression which means “to keep silence.” In some areas a literal translation of this expression will appear so severe as to seem to be the result of a curse which Job’s presence placed on these men. Accordingly it will often be better to use a more appropriate expression, or to avoid the figure and follow Good News Translation.

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 .