Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: King James Version translates “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” and so pictures Job as a man of unconquerable trust in God. However, this rendering is wrong. The context is that of challenging God to do his worst to Job. The word translated Behold can also carry the meaning “if, although,” or as introducing a command or conjecture, and New English Bible translates “If he would slay me…”; Moffatt “He may kill me…”; New Jerusalem Bible “Let him kill me if he will”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “Although he kills me….” The usual meaning of the word translated hope is “wait,” as in 6.11; 14.14; 30.26. The translation of line b is not in doubt, and it clearly shows that Job is determined to argue his case and prove himself innocent in an encounter with God. Therefore translators are encouraged to follow the Hebrew text in this line and express Job’s lack of “hope, expectation.” Accordingly New English Bible has “I should not hesitate”; Bible en français courant “I no longer have anything to lose”; New Jerusalem Bible “I have no other hope”; Moffatt “What else can I expect?” Revised Standard Version‘s rendering is correct but does not provide an adequate model for translators. Good News Translation reverses the two clauses of line a: “I’ve lost all hope, so what if God kills me?” The “so what” question is striking as a translation but does not reflect the Hebrew very well. The line may also be expressed, for example, “Let God kill me if he wishes, what more do I have to lose?” “If God wishes to kill me, that is the end of my hopes,” or “… then I have nothing more to look forward to.”

Yet I will defend my ways to his face: Job is certain about his cause and is prepared to defend himself. Yet introduces strong opposition to what has just been said, and may be rendered “nevertheless, in spite of that, regardless.” The sense of this line in its context is “In spite of the fact that I’ve lost all hope (of being declared innocent by God), I will argue my case before him.” To his face means “directly, before him, in his 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 .