OET interlinear JOB 34:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וַ⁠חֲצ֪וֹת לָ֥יְלָה

and_[the],middle_of night

Elihu is speaking as if what he is describing generally happens to people literally in the middle of the night. He means that it happens suddenly and unexpectedly, as if it happened at the time when people are usually asleep. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and suddenly and unexpectedly]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

יְגֹעֲשׁ֣וּ עָ֣ם

shaken people

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: [God shakes people]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / euphemism

וְ⁠יַעֲבֹ֑רוּ

and,they_pass_away

Elihu is using the word pass to mean “die.” This is a mild or poetic way of referring to death. Your language may have a similar expression that you can use in your translation. You could also use plain language. Alternate translation: [and they depart] or [and they die]

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

וְ⁠יָסִ֥ירוּ אַ֝בִּ֗יר

and,people_remove (Some words not found in UHB: in_a_moment die and_[the],middle_of night shaken people and,they_pass_away and,people_remove mighty not by,a_hand )

Here, they is an indefinite pronoun that does not have a specific referent in the immediate context. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this with a different expression that does not use an indefinite pronoun. Alternate translation: [and the mighty are taken away]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

אַ֝בִּ֗יר

(Some words not found in UHB: in_a_moment die and_[the],middle_of night shaken people and,they_pass_away and,people_remove mighty not by,a_hand )

Elihu is using the adjective mighty 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: [even the person who is mighty]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

לֹ֣א בְ⁠יָֽד

not by,a_hand

Elihu is using one part of a human being, his hand, to mean all of him in the act of potentially taking away a mighty person (although Elihu says that no person actually does this). If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [not by a human being]