OET interlinear JOB 24:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

רֹעֶ֣ה עֲ֭קָרָה

prey_on infertile

The pronoun one refers to a wicked person. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers, and it may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: [A wicked person devours the barren]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

רֹעֶ֣ה

prey_on

Job is speaking as if a wicked person would literally devour or eat up childless women and widows. He means that the wicked person would cheat and exploit them in the ways he described earlier in this speech. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the one exploiting]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד

infertile not have_a_child

Job is using the adjective barren as a noun to mean a certain kind of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this word with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [the barren woman, who has not borne]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד

infertile not have_a_child

It might seem that this expression contains extra information that would be unnatural to express in your language. If so, you can shorten it. Alternate translation: [the childless woman]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד

infertile not have_a_child

Job is not referring to a specific barren woman. He means women in general who have not had children. It may be more natural in your language to express this meaning by using a plural form. Alternate translation: [childless women]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

וְ֝⁠אַלְמָנָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב

and,a_widow not do_~_good

Job is not referring to a specific widow. He means widows in general. It may be more natural in your language to express this meaning by using a plural form. Alternate translation: [and he does not do good to widows]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives

וְ֝⁠אַלְמָנָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב

and,a_widow not do_~_good

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this as a positive expression. Alternate translation: [and he harms the widow] or [and he harms widows]