complete verse (Job 27:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 27:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “They do not make the God of power happy
    and (they) do not pray to him.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Will he take delight in God Almighty?
    Taking His name, will he always be making entreaties?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Will he be happy in the Almighty God? Will- he -call him at all times?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Will they be happy about what Almighty God does?/They certainly will not be happy about what Almighty God does.
    Will they begin to pray to him frequently?/They certainly will not begin to pray to him frequently.
    Certainly not!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Job 27:10

Will he take delight in the Almighty?: as in verse 9, this is a question that expects a negative reply, and the next line is usually translated as a question also, in order to make the connection between the two lines clear. In 22.26a Eliphaz says to Job “Then you will delight yourself in the Almighty.” Dhorme interprets verse 10a as Job repeating Eliphaz in order to challenge the friends, and accordingly Job is still the speaker in verse 10. For take delight see 22.26a. Good News Translation “They should have…” implies in fact that the godless did not do that. Using negative statements we may translate, for example, “He is not a person (or, They are not people) who finds joy (or, happiness) in worshiping the Almighty God.”

Will he call upon God at all times?: this echoes Psalm 86.3b, “for to thee do I call all the day.” Call upon means “to call for help, to pray.” At all times means “all the time, at any time.” This may be understood to mean that Job (assuming he is the speaker) does not admit that the godless can call upon God. The friends, who refuse to recognize Job’s innocence, urge him to do just that. But Job constantly calls on God to hear his case. Therefore the friends and Job are at a total impasse. The only way it can be resolved is for the friends to recognize Job’s innocence, and they cannot do this because of the evidence before their eyes: Job’s misfortune.

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 .