Yet he filled their houses with good things: this verse seems to be a thought which occurs to Eliphaz rather than something addressed directly to Job. Revised Standard Version translates this line close to the Hebrew and clearly. Good News Translation generalizes the expression filled their houses with good things to a more abstract level “made them prosperous.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy attempts to show that Eliphaz is addressing verse 18 to himself and so places it in parentheses. This may be helpful in some languages. Many English translations begin the line with Yet, as in Revised Standard Version, meaning “in spite of that, nevertheless, still.” The line may also be expressed “and in spite of all that, God made them rich” or “nevertheless God gave them all kinds of good things.”

But the counsel of the wicked is far from me: this line is the same as Job said in 21.16. Counsel of the wicked was used by Job in 10.3 (translated there “designs of the wicked”). See the discussion there. The Septuagint has “far from him,” but the Hebrew far from me is more effective. Far from me expresses Eliphaz’s rejection of the schemes and plots of the wicked. He wants to have nothing to do with them. This is not reflected as clearly in Good News Translation “I can’t understand the thoughts of the wicked.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation mark this line as a break in structure with the previous line by the use of a dash. The line may also be rendered, for example, “but the way the wicked make their plans is beyond me,” “but I do not understand the way evil people scheme,” or “I cannot grasp the way the mind of evil people works.”

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 .