Verses 32 and 33 refer to the same event, the wicked man’s burial. In Hebrew verse 32 has two lines and verse 33 has three. Revised Standard Version keeps them in their Hebrew order. Good News Translation, on the other hand, rearranges verse 33 so that lines b and c are combined and placed before line a. Other translations have different arrangements.

When he is borne to the grave: grave in Hebrew is plural here but singular in 17.1. The reference here is to the place of many graves, so Good News Translation has “graveyard.”

Watch is kept over his tomb: the lack of an expressed subject in this line has led to two kinds of adjustments: New English Bible transfers the last two words from verse 33, making them the subject of the verb: “and thousands (literally ‘without number’) keep watch at his tomb.” On the other hand, Good News Translation expresses this line as an expansion and specification of “graveyard” in the previous line: “to his well-guarded tomb.” Good News Translation is preferred because it does not disturb the order. Translators may combine the lines of verses 32 and 33 in various ways; for example, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates in the order 32a, 33bc, 32b, 33a. The passive verbs in verse 32 must often be shifted to active constructions; for example, “When they carry him to his grave” or “When they bury him.” This line may be expressed as “they guard his tomb” or “they watch over where they have buried him.”

The clods of the valley are sweet to him: clods of the valley is parallel to tomb in verse 32b and refers to the dirt which covers his dead body or, as New English Bible translates, “the dust of the earth.” Sweet to him is idiomatic, as in 20.12, where “wickedness is sweet in his mouth.” The meaning is that the dirt that covers him is “pleasant, agreeable, comfortable.” The dead man is depicted as consciously experiencing the mound of clods piled above him as being comfortable, pleasant. Good News Translation and others translate “gentle or light.” This is in contrast to “heavy” and “burdensome.” Good News Translation “even the earth lies gently on his body” is transferred to the end of verse 33. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, which also places this line at the end, says, “Even the dirt is soft for him.” Valley probably refers to the pit of the grave rather than the valley where the grave may be located.

All men follow after him: Good News Translation transfers this line to verse 33a, so that the funeral events are told before telling the reaction of the dead man to his funeral, and this is recommended for translation. Everyone is present to follow the funeral procession taking the dead man to the grave.

And those who go before him are innumerable: this line and the one above are combined in Good News Translation. New English Bible translates the two lines “all the world escorts him, before and behind.” Translators may follow the order of Good News Translation or that of Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, “And when they finally carry him to be buried all the procession accompanies him, some in front and some behind; they guard his tomb, and even the dirt is pleasant to him.”

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 .