After this refers to the week of silence mentioned in 2.13 and may need to be translated by a transitional term showing that something new is about to take place. Good News Translation says “Finally” (likewise Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). In some languages this transition marker will need to be translated so as to show the time sequence between the end of chapter 2 and the opening of chapter 3. This is sometimes done by repeating the previous time clause; for example, “After his friends had been sitting with him silently for a week, Job began to curse….”

Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth: Job, who scolded his wife for suggesting he curse God and die, now erupts with curses against his origin and wishes he were dead. He is, nevertheless, careful not to curse God. The ineffective words of Job’s curses should unleash the destruction he so passionately desires, but they are curses directed against the past, which cannot be undone, and therefore become even more pathetic. Revised Standard Version translates the literal Hebrew “opened his mouth,” which means “began to speak” or, as Good News Translation says in this context, “broke the silence,” which makes a better transition from the end of chapter 2.

Cursed translates the actual Hebrew word “curse” here and not the word “blessed.” The day of his birth translates the Hebrew “his day,” but the context makes it clear that it was the day of his birth he was cursing and not some other important day in his life. In many languages it will not be normal to invoke a curse upon a past event or a period of time, such as a day or a night. It will often be necessary to say, for example, “Job spoke evil words about the day of his birth,” or “… against the day he was born.” In some languages this may best be handled in direct address; for example, “Job said, ‘I speak evil words against the day I was born’ ” or “ ‘… the day my mother gave birth to me.’ ”

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 .