Behold, this is the joy of his way: this verse is problematic. Many scholars believe the Hebrew word translated joy makes no sense in the context. Consequently Dhorme drops one consonant and gets a word meaning “rotting” and translates “Behold him rotting on a path.” New English Bible seems to follow this proposal as well and translates “That is how its life withers away.” Others make far-reaching changes. Gordis suggests a change that means “depart” and translates “Behold, it goes on its way.” Habel prefers to keep the Hebrew text as it is and accepts the tone of the speaker as ironic, with a meaning suggesting that the root “rejoices in the earth that swallows it.” If the translator accepts the Hebrew text and the ironical force of the statement, the meaning is as in Good News Translation, “that’s all the joy evil men have,” or “the joy of evil people does not last long,” or “evil people are not joyful long.”

Out of the earth others will spring: in Hebrew the subject is singular, but it must be understood as collective, since the verb is plural. Earth translates “dust” as in 5.6, but here with the meaning of soil. The godless person has been compared to a healthy plant that is pulled up and thrown out, and where it grew other plants will shoot up and take its place. Out of the earth refers to other plants sprouting to take the place of the one uprooted. However, as in Good News Translation, it may be necessary to refer not to the plants but to the evil persons represented by the plants; for example, “Others now come and take their places” or “Other evil people come and take their places.”

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 .