Turn translates a common Hebrew word shub, which literally means “return,” in the sense of repeating an action or starting again; and in the present context it is a plea for his friends to make a new start in their attitude toward him. A literal translation of “return,” as in King James Version, gives the impression the three friends are walking away from Job and he is calling them back; Turn is little better. Here the word means “relent, think again, think it over.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch goes to the point directly with “stop judging!” which gives the reason behind Good News Translation “You have gone far enough,” that is, in your judgmental attitude. I pray can be rendered beg, ask, request; or it may not even be necessary to translate it at all. Let no wrong be done: wrong translates a word meaning injustice. It occurs in 11.14, where Good News Translation translates “evil” and Revised Standard Version “wickedness.” The sense is that Job’s friends should stop being unjust in their criticism of him, and it may be rendered “Stop being unjust to me” or “Stop being unfair to me.”

The second line begins with the same verb Turn as in the first, and so Job repeats his plea for them to “stop being unfair.” My vindication is at stake is literally “my righteousness is in it.” Some interpreters propose changing the text to say “My righteousness is still in me” or “My righteousness is still intact.” Rowley argues for the translation in Revised Standard Version, since the word righteousness here has a legal sense meaning to clear a person from charges. The phrase “in it” in Hebrew means here “in question,” or as Revised Standard Version says, at stake. The injustice Job feels is what has been done against him in Eliphaz’s speech. It is far too serious to leave as is, and that is the reason for his appeal.

Line b matches line a by repeating and thus emphasizing the idea “stop doing what you are doing” or “think again about what you are saying.” My vindication is at stake may be translated, for example, “admit that I am right,” “recognize that I have done no wrong,” or “acknowledge that right is on my side.”

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 .