Should he argue in unprofitable talk: in 13.3 Job said “I desire to argue my case with God.” Eliphaz now picks up Job’s thought and asks in a rhetorical question if such arguing would not be without profit, that is, without effect, accomplishing nothing. The word translated unprofitable is found only in Job. Or in words with which he can do no good?: this line is almost identical in meaning to the first line, and some translators may find it best to combine the two into a single line.

The sense of verse 3 is essentially the same as verse 2. Translators may find it is best to continue the same kind of sentence construction in verse 3 as was used in verse 2; for example, if verse 2 was translated as a statement expressing obligation, then verse 3 may be best translated in a parallel form. For example, “You should not argue aimlessly,” “You should not argue with words that do no good,” or “Job, you should not argue, because your talk accomplishes nothing.”

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 .