Thus far shall you come, and no farther is God’s command to the sea. “You can come up to here, but you can go no farther.” God is represented here as quoting his own words addressed to the sea.

And here shall your proud waves be stayed translates the Hebrew “here he will put on the pride of your waves.” This line makes sense only by supplying “a limit” as the object of the verb “put.” The Septuagint has “shall be broken,” expressing God’s control over the movement of the sea. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project takes two positions, each equally favored. One is to translate as in Revised Standard Version. The other is to follow the Septuagint “and here will the pride of your waves be broken.” Among modern translations which follow the Septuagint are New Jerusalem Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, and Habel. Those preferring the Hebrew text are Pope, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, New International Version, and others. Translators may follow either alternative. Good News Translation has replaced proud waves with “powerful waves” as a more common expression. Verse 11 may also be rendered, for example, as “You, ocean, can come only this far and no farther. Here on the shore your mighty waves must break.” In languages in which only rivers are known, “rivers” may substitute for “sea” or “ocean.”

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 .