Verses 7 and 8 are closely related and need to be dealt with together. The Good News Translation footnote says of these two verses: “Hebrew unclear.”

Surely now God has worn me out: it will be noted that Revised Standard Version has God in line a and he in line b, while Good News Translation has “you” in both lines. Line a in the Hebrew text has neither “God” nor “you.” Scholars have reconstructed both lines of this verse and get widely different results. Both Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version make God the subject of has worn me out, and this is the understanding of Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, and Moffatt. On the other hand New Jerusalem Bible and Bible de Jérusalem understand “pain” from verse 6 to be the subject. If the translator follows Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation with God as the subject, this line may be rendered, for example, “Certainly God has taken away my strength” or “Yes, God has brought me to the end of my strength.”

He has made desolate all my company: this line in Hebrew has “you (singular).” See Revised Standard Version note. Good News Translation introduces “you” into line a in order to be consistent with the Hebrew “you” in line b, while Revised Standard Version, which supplied God in line a, translates he in line b. Translators may follow either model but should be consistent in the two lines. Made desolate translates a verb meaning “devastate, ruin, destroy,” and so Good News Translation “killed.” All my company probably does not refer to all of Job’s other friends but is more specifically his own closest kin, and so Good News Translation “family.” New International Version has “You have devastated my entire household,” which would include family and servants. Line b may also be rendered, for example, “You, God, have killed my entire family” or “God has destroyed my family.” Bible en français courant says “all those around me.”

And he has shriveled me up: this line in Hebrew has “you (singular),” as in verse 7b. Revised Standard Version keeps he in the interest of consistency with its change to “he” there. Shriveled translates an uncertain word found only here and in 22.16. It has the meaning of “seize, take hold of” in Syriac and post-biblical Hebrew, and this is followed by Good News Translation “You have seized me.” Translators express the line variously; for example, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “He has put me in prison”; Dhorme “He has risen up against me”; New International Version “You have bound me.” Others follow Revised Standard Version; for example, Bible en français courant “The wrinkles he has given me are witnesses to it,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “He engraves my face with deep wrinkles.” Because of the lack of certainty, translators are free to follow either Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation.

Which is a witness against me: according to Rowley, Job’s being shriveled up is the evidence of his sin. Which in Revised Standard Version refers back to the previous line and gives the meaning that Job’s physical condition “shows, witnesses against him” that he is a sinner. Following Revised Standard Version these lines may be rendered “He has inflicted my skin with deep wrinkles which are like witnesses against me” or “He has put wrinkles on my skin, and they are like witnesses who speak against me.”

And my leanness has risen up against me: Job’s physical condition, being bony like a skeleton, is again a testimony of his guilt. Has risen up against me is the personalization of leanness, which takes the stand, in court terminology, to testify against Job. Good News Translation has translated this phrase “You are my enemy.” Job’s thought is more in terms of the contestants in a trial than “enemy” suggests.

It testifies to my face: this line is added to give emphasis to the metaphor in the previous line. In many languages leanness cannot be used as the subject of the verb “rise up or stand up.” Therefore it will often be necessary to restructure these two lines and say, for example, “He has made me bony, and this too is like a witness who stands up to speak against me” or “He has reduced me to a skeleton, and this is like….”

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 .