Oh that my words were written!: my words refers to Job’s repeated protests of his innocence. Job’s concern is that his words be written for future generations to know. Bible en français courant translates my words as “my protest,” which expresses the thought more accurately than “words.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “I wish someone would write it all down.” Good News Translation introduces “remember” into this line, which explains the purpose for the writing of Job’s protests. This line may also be rendered, for example, “I wish someone would write down my complaints” or “If only somebody would write down my arguments against God.”

Oh that they were inscribed in a book!: line b shows the rise of emotion as the thought of line a repeats but becomes more specific, inscribed in a book. Inscribed translates a verb meaning carve or engrave. The word translated book normally refers to a scroll, but when used with “engrave,” scroll is inappropriate. Pope suggests that the word translated book can mean a record or document but may be related to an Akkadian word for “copper.” Such an engraved copper treasure scroll was found at Qumran. Translators should use a term that the reader will recognize as referring to something appropriate for writing on, which most often will be something like book. This line may show the intended heightening of intensity by saying, for example, “If they would only put them permanently into a record,” “Even better—have my case put into a book,” or “Better still, record my words on something that will last.”

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 .