OET interlinear JOB 22:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑⁠נוּ וְ֝⁠יִתְרָ֗⁠ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ

if not cut_off adversaries,our and,left,their eating fire

The pronoun their refers to the enemy mentioned in the first part of the verse. It may be more natural in your language to make the pronoun agree in number. Since Eliphaz speaks of wicked people in the plural in these verses, you may find it appropriate to do that by saying “enemies.” Alternate translation: “If our enemies are not cut off? And fire has devoured their possessions”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑⁠נוּ וְ֝⁠יִתְרָ֗⁠ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ

if not cut_off adversaries,our and,left,their eating fire

Eliphaz is quoting what righteous and innocent people say about wicked people whom God destroys. If that would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that in your translation. Alternate translation: “They say, ‘If our enemies are not cut off? And fire has devoured their possessions!’”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑⁠נוּ וְ֝⁠יִתְרָ֗⁠ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ

if not cut_off adversaries,our and,left,their eating fire

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “They say that their enemies have been cut off and that fire has devoured their possessions”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑⁠נוּ

if not cut_off adversaries,our

The righteous and innocent people are using the word If to introduce a question that anticipates a negative answer. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate this in your translation. Alternate translation: “Our enemies have been cut off, have they not”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑⁠נוּ

if not cut_off adversaries,our

The righteous and innocent people are using the question form for emphasis. If you would not use the question form for that purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: “Our enemies have been cut off!”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑⁠נוּ

if not cut_off adversaries,our

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. If you need to say who does the action, the context suggests that it is God. Alternate translation: “God has cut off our enemies!”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑⁠נוּ

if not cut_off adversaries,our

To make a different point, that God actually judges wicked people in this life, Eliphaz is echoing what Job said in 21:21. There Job spoke of a wicked person dying as if he were literally being cut off, like a branch from a tree. See how you translated the similar expression there. Alternate translation: “God has ended the lives of our enemies!”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ֝⁠יִתְרָ֗⁠ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ

and,left,their eating fire

Eliphaz depicts innocent and righteous people as speaking as if fire had destroyed the possessions of wicked people. Eliphaz depicts them as speaking as if the fire had literally devoured or eaten the possessions. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “And they have lost their possessions” or “And other people will now get their possessions”