OET interlinear JOB 15:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

אַ֭ף כִּֽי־נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽ⁠נֶאֱלָ֑ח

also/though that/for/because/then/when abominable and,corrupt

Indeed that is an expression that indicates that what follows is greater in degree than what a person has just said. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “how much less the abominable and the corrupted”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

אַ֭ף כִּֽי־נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽ⁠נֶאֱלָ֑ח

also/though that/for/because/then/when abominable and,corrupt

Eliphaz is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “how much less are the abominable and the corrupted clean in his eyes”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽ⁠נֶאֱלָ֑ח

abominable and,corrupt

Eliphaz is using the adjectives abominable and corrupted as nouns to mean certain kinds of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate these words with equivalent phrases. Alternate translation: “abominable and corrupt people”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽ⁠נֶאֱלָ֑ח

abominable and,corrupt

The terms abominable and corrupted mean similar things. Eliphaz is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: “humans, who are so very wicked”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וְֽ⁠נֶאֱלָ֑ח

and,corrupt

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “and the corrupt”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶ֖ה כַ⁠מַּ֣יִם עַוְלָֽה

(a)_man drinks like_the,water iniquity

Eliphaz seems to be referring implicitly to Job when he speaks of a man drinking iniquity like water. You could indicate that in your translation if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “such as a man like you who drinks iniquity like water”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶ֖ה כַ⁠מַּ֣יִם עַוְלָֽה

(a)_man drinks like_the,water iniquity

Eliphaz is speaking as if Job were literally drinking iniquity the way he would drink water. He means that Job eagerly and willingly does wrong things, the way thirsty people eagerly and willingly drink water. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “a man who freely commits iniquity” or “such as a man like you who freely commits iniquity”