This will be my salvation: scholars have different understandings of what This refers to. In Revised Standard Version This refers to the whole of the line that follows. Good News Translation makes it refer to “my boldness” just expressed by Job in verse 15. This may point back to verse 15b or forward to verse 16b. In either case Job’s salvation or success is attained by his being able to stand before God to argue his case. Salvation here is to be understood as the successful outcome of Job’s argument, since being willing to come face to face with God is something no sinful man would ever consider. The line may also be expressed, for example, “And by doing this I will be saved,” “By appearing before God I will come out safely,” “Standing before God will show that I have succeeded,” or “I will stand in God’s presence and he will save me.”

The second line states Job’s conviction that a godless man shall not come before him. If Job were a godless man (a sinner, as suggested by his friends), he would not dare appear before God to argue his case. Job’s willingness to challenge God is itself evidence that God must eventually acquit him of wrongdoing. Godless man means “sinner, wicked person, one who does not acknowledge God.” Good News Translation has related line b to line a as a subordinate clause, “since no wicked man would dare to face God.” This line may also be translated, for example, “because a wicked person will not come before God” or “because evil people are not able to stand in God’s presence.”

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 .

Thou prevailest for ever against him: prevailest translates a word whose root means “to be powerful,” and which has the sense here of “attack.” This meaning is well conveyed by Good News Translation “You overpower a man.” For ever is connected more naturally with prevailest as in Revised Standard Version, and New International Version “You overpower him once for all.” And he passes translates the Hebrew “and he goes,” which is an indirect manner of speaking about death, as in English “pass away.” The line may also be expressed, for example, “You defeat him and he dies,” “You overcome him and he gives up his life,” or “You subdue him and he is finished.”

Thou changest his countenance is in the Hebrew “changing his face” and refers to the distorted face of the dead person. Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew form and does not say what kind of change takes place, but Good News Translation does not leave it in doubt: “His face is twisted in death.” Revised Standard Version and others understand God to be the one who changes the face. Others, like Good News Translation, take it that the face is changed as a result of death. It seems best to take it as in Good News Translation, which is closer to the Hebrew idea. In languages in which a passive construction cannot be used, it may be necessary to say, for example, “You distort his face,” “You cause his face to twist,” or “You give him an ugly face in death.” And sendest him away is parallel to and he passes in line a. Good News Translation does not repeat the expression but uses “and send him away” for both expressions.

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 .

They conceive mischief and bring forth evil: chapter 15 begins with Eliphaz accusing Job of filling his belly with the east wind (15.2). He now ends his speech saying “their belly (Revised Standard Version heart) prepares deceit.” Psalm 7.14 expresses the same sentiment, “The wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief, and brings forth lies.” In Job 4.8 the same thought is expressed as “Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.” See also Isaiah 59.4. Good News Translation does not attempt to retain the productivity image but reproduces something of the progression: “These are the men who plan trouble and do evil.”

And their heart prepares deceit: see above concerning heart. Translators who are striving to translate in poetry will want to retain the images in so far as they are suitable in their own languages, or else supply equivalent images. New English Bible keeps the images in a slightly modified form: “They conceive mischief, and give birth to trouble, and the child of their womb is deceit.” If the reproduction images cannot be kept, it may be necessary to say something like “They are the people who think up trouble to cause others; they succeed in doing evil deeds, and their hearts are full of deceit.”

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 .

If I look for Sheol as my house: Revised Standard Version begins verses 13-14 with If, and verse 15 is taken as a consequence stated in question form. Good News Translation, on the other hand, uses a disguised negative statement (“My only hope…”) in verse 13 and future statements in verse 14. Bible en français courant begins verse 13 with a question: “What am I still waiting for? A place for myself in the world of the dead.” This variety points out the range of different ways in which the same Hebrew construction can be translated. Look for translates a word meaning “hope for, expect, wait for,” and so Good News Translation has “My only hope is…,” and New Jerusalem Bible “All I want, in fact, is to dwell in Sheol.” Job expects Sheol, the place of the dead, to become his house (see 7.9). In many languages it will be better to avoid the repetitive use of “if” clauses in Revised Standard Version and translate verses 13 and 14 as statements. This line may also be rendered, for example, “The only thing I can look forward to is death,” “My only hope is to die and be buried,” or “I still wait to live in the world of the dead.”

If I spread my couch in darkness is a metaphor meaning to go to the place of the dead. The language used here concerning going to sleep is found also in Psalm 63.6; 132.3; 139.8. The word translated spread means “prop up or support” and refers to arranging the cushions on which one will lie down. Couch is the object for sleeping on, usually translated “bed.” In some languages the metaphor in line b must be adjusted to say, for example, “and I will sleep there in the dark,” “I will lie there in the dark,” or “I will always be there in the darkness.”

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 .

He has put my brethren far from me: Job begins by accusing God of making his brothers desert him. My brethren is an archaic term for “my brothers.” The Septuagint has “My brothers have gone far.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, however, translates the Hebrew “He has put my brothers far from me.” Brethren may be taken as a general term for kin (Moffatt translates “clansmen”), but there is no reason not to use “brothers,” which would probably include the sons of Job’s father’s brothers. A satisfactory translation model is “God has taken my brothers and put them far from me” or “God has removed my brothers from me.”

And my acquaintances are wholly estranged from me: acquaintances is literally “those who know me” and is parallel to brethren in the first line. In 42.11 “all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before” come to Job and eat with him. Estranged or “alienated” is translated by Good News Translation as “stranger.” The line may also be rendered, for example, “all the people who knew me are now strangers,” “all my former friends are like foreigners to me,” or “none of my former friends know me any more.”

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 .

He will flee from an iron weapon: translators differ in the way they relate the two lines of this verse to each other. Good News Translation and others make line a a dependent clause, “When he tries to escape…,” “If he flees…” (Dhorme). Revised Standard Version and others form two parallel clauses. Both approaches are possible. Good News Translation follows the pattern found for the same idea expressed in Amos 5.19. Iron weapon is a weapon made of iron. Dhorme takes the word translated weapon to mean “armor of iron,” but “weapon” suits the context better. This line may also be rendered, for example, “He will run away to escape being wounded by an iron weapon,” “If he runs away to escape being struck down by an iron weapon,” or “He will run away to avoid being wounded by a soldier using an iron weapon.”

A bronze arrow will strike him through: the Hebrew has “bow of bronze,” but bows are not made of bronze, and a bronze bow would not shoot an arrow. (See 40.18 for a comment on bronze.) “Bow of bronze” is also used in Psalm 18.34. The poet attributes to the “bow” the effect which is produced by the arrow. Revised Standard Version has shifted to bronze arrow, but Good News Translation has kept “bronze bow.” Bible en français courant translates “a bronze point,” that is, “a bronze arrowhead.” This line may need to be adjusted as in the case of iron weapon to say, for example, “an arrow with a bronze point will hit him” or “an enemy will shoot an arrow with a bronze point into him.” If bronze is unknown, the translator may say “iron” or “metal.”

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 .

Who declares his way to his face…?: unfortunately Revised Standard Version is unclear here. In this line Job returns to his own comments. The question expects the reply “Nobody!” and so Good News Translation restructures the question as a negative statement: “There is no one to accuse a wicked man.” God spares the wicked and, for fear of consequences, “No one accuses the wicked.” Declares translates a word with the force of “denounce, expose,” and his way refers to “his conduct, behavior.” A better translation is “No one dares denounce the wicked man for the way he acts.”

And who requites him for what he has done?: requites translates the Hebrew for “pay back, get even,” and so Good News Translation “Pay him back for all he has done.” Verse 31 may also be rendered “No one dares denounce (accuse, condemn, expose, tell the truth about) the wicked person’s bad ways, and no one dares to give him what he deserves” or “… and no one dares to punish him for what he has done.”

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 .

Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?: in 9.29 Job was convinced that God would condemn him. In 13.21 Job asked God to withdraw his hand “and let not dread of thee terrify me.” Now, however, he does not believe that God would overwhelm him with his might. Perhaps verse 6 can be taken as God having granted Job’s request in 13.21. In the Hebrew line a is a question which Job answers negatively in line b. Contend translates the same word used in 9.3 and 13.19, meaning “dispute, argue, plead.” In the greatness of his power is a phrase that is best taken in an instrumental sense, that is, the greatness of his power is the instrument or weapon which God uses in the contest against Job. “Will he use his great power to argue with me?” or “Would God use all his strength against me?” (Good News Translation). However, Good News Translation leaves unclear in what respect God uses his strength. Bible en français courant is more specific with “Does it take a very great effort for him to confront me?” This line may also be expressed “Does it take great strength for him to dispute with me?” or “Would he crush me with his might in an argument?”

No; he would give heed to me is literally “No, surely he would place (attention) on me.” Job answers his own question with confidence. The verb translated give heed usually means “place, put,” but there is no object expressed in Hebrew, and so one must be supplied. New English Bible understands the object to be a charge: “No; God himself would never bring a charge against me.” Dhorme proposes changing the word translated give heed by adding one consonant to get “He would only have to listen to me,” which is the basis for Good News Translation “He would listen as I spoke.” This line may also be rendered “No, he would give me a fair hearing,” “No, he would pay attention to what I say,” or “He would not do that; he would listen to what I say.”

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 .