These two verses are handled as a unit by Revised Standard Version but not by Good News Translation. Verse 15 is obscure, and there are many different translations of it. Elihu may be referring to 21.14-26, in which Job asserted that God does not punish the wicked.

And now, because his anger does not punish seems to introduce still another complaint. And now suggests that something further is being added. It may be expressed as “What’s more” or “In addition.” Good News Translation does not seem to represent it. The rest of this line is literally “surely (or, because) nothing his anger visited,” where the verb means “visit, inspect, punish.” “Nothing” is to be taken as the generalized object of the verb, and so “his anger does not punish anything,” which is better rendered in this context as “anyone.” Good News Translation “You think” is supplied on the basis of “you say” in verse 14a and may also be rendered “You also say.” Anger in Hebrew is used as the subject of punish. This must be recast in many languages to say, for example, “God in his anger does not punish….”

Does not greatly heed is literally “does not greatly know,” which seems strange, since we would expect something like “does not know at all.” However, the word for “know” can mean heed as here, or “show concern for” as in Exodus 2.25, where Good News Translation translates “was concerned for them.” The same meaning is found in 9.21, where Job says “I no longer care” (Good News Translation). Revised Standard Version gives a satisfactory translation, but Good News Translation is to be preferred: “that he pays little attention to sin.” The word transgression, as noted in the Revised Standard Version footnote, follows the ancient versions in which an obscure Hebrew word is changed to a similar sounding word meaning “sin,” as in Good News Translation.

Job opens his mouth in empty talk: Elihu again uses Job’s name but is apparently addressing whoever may be listening, perhaps the friends and bystanders. Good News Translation, which addressed Job directly and by name in verse 14a, continues to address Job with “you” in verses 15 and 16. Translators should follow the form of address that is most natural and is the least ambiguous. Opens his mouth means “he talks, makes speeches, gives discourses.” Empty talk translates the word commonly rendered “vanity” by King James Version and Revised Standard Version in Ecclesiastes. The word is used in 21.34, where Good News Translation translates it as “nonsense,” and Bible en français courant as “wind.” In English this line can be rendered, for example, “Job talks like a windbag”; that is, he talks much and says little that is significant.

Elihu closes this chapter of his speech saying about Job that he multiplies words without knowledge, which is similar to what he said in 34.37. See there for comments. Without knowledge means “without knowing what he is saying” or “out of his ignorance.” This line may be rendered, for example, “Job goes on talking about things when he knows nothing about them.”

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 .