OET interlinear JOB 29:9

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

עָצְר֣וּ בְ⁠מִלִּ֑ים

refrained (Some words not found in UHB: officials refrained (in),words and,a_palm laid to,mouth_of,their )

Job is using the term words to mean what these princes had been saying by using words before he arrived. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [stopped speaking]

Note 2 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

וְ֝⁠כַ֗ף יָשִׂ֥ימוּ לְ⁠פִי⁠הֶֽם

and,a_palm (Some words not found in UHB: officials refrained (in),words and,a_palm laid to,mouth_of,their )

Since Job is speaking of many people, it may be more natural in your language to use the plural forms of hand and mouth. Alternate translation: [and they put their hands on their mouths] or [and they covered their mouths with their hands]

Note 3 topic: translate-symaction

וְ֝⁠כַ֗ף יָשִׂ֥ימוּ לְ⁠פִי⁠הֶֽם

and,a_palm (Some words not found in UHB: officials refrained (in),words and,a_palm laid to,mouth_of,their )

Covering the mouth with the hand prevents a person from speaking. While the princes could simply have stopped talking without doing that, they did it as a symbolic action to show respect for Job, indicating that there was nothing they could say that would be more valuable than what he would say. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain the significance of this action. Alternate translation: [and they covered their mouths with their hands to indicate respectfully that there was nothing they could say that would be more valuable than what I would say]