OET interlinear JOB 5:1

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-politeness

קְֽרָא־נָ֭א

call now

Eliphaz is using the word translated now to offer polite encouragement. Your language may have a similar expression that you could use in your translation. Alternate translation: “Go ahead, call out”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

קְֽרָא־נָ֭א

call now

Eliphaz assumes that Job will understand that by Call out, he is telling Job to ask someone to listen to his complaint against God. In this culture, someone who had a case against someone else would go to a public area and ask established members of the community to hear and judge the case. You could indicate this in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “Go ahead, call for someone to listen to and judge your case against God”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / irony

קְֽרָא־נָ֭א

call now

Eliphaz does not really want Job to Call out and ask someone to hear his complaint against God, even though he is telling Job to do that. Eliphaz actually intends to communicate the opposite of the literal meaning of his words. He wants Job to realize that there is no being who has the wisdom or authority to hear a human being’s complaint against God. Alternate translation: “There is really no point in calling for someone to listen to and judge your case against God”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

הֲ⁠יֵ֣שׁ עוֹנֶ֑⁠ךָּ וְ⁠אֶל־מִ֖י מִ⁠קְּדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּפְנֶֽה

?,is_there answer,you and=near/to who? of,holy turn

In both of these instances, Eliphaz is using the question form for emphasis. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate these questions as statements or exclamations. Alternate translation: “there is no one who will answer you. You cannot turn to any of the holy ones.”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מִ⁠קְּדֹשִׁ֣ים

of,holy

In this context, the phrase the holy ones likely refers to angelic beings rather than to people who live righteously. You can indicate this in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “of the angelic beings”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

תִּפְנֶֽה

turn

Eliphaz is speaking as if Job would literally turn to face someone whom he wanted to hear his case against God. Eliphaz means that Job would appeal to such a person, although he is arguing that there actually is no such person. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “will you appeal”