32 Many commentators find vv. 18–24 difficult on the lips of Job, and so identify this unit as a misplaced part of the speech of Zophar. They describe the enormities of the wicked. But a case can also be made for retaining it in this section. Gordis thinks it could be taken as a quotation by Job of his friends’ ideas.
33 The verb “say” is not in the text; it is supplied here to indicate that this is a different section.
34 Or “is swift.”
35 The wicked person is described here as a spray or foam upon the waters, built up in the agitation of the waters but dying away swiftly.
36 The text reads, “he does not turn by the way of the vineyards.” This means that since the land is cursed, he/one does not go there. Bickell emended “the way of the vineyards” to “the treader of the vineyard” (see , ). This would mean that “no wine-presser would turn towards” their vineyards.
37 Heb “the waters of the snow.”
38 Or “so Sheol.”
39 This is the meaning of the verse, which in Hebrew only has “The grave / they have sinned.”
40 Here “womb” is synecdoche, representing one’s mother.
41 The form in the text is the active participle, “feed; graze; shepherd.” The idea of “prey” is not natural to it. R. Gordis (Job, 270) argues that third he (ה) verbs are often by-forms of geminate verbs, and so the meaning here is more akin to רָעַע (ra’a’, “to crush”). The seems to have read something like הֵרַע (hera’, “oppressed”).
42 Heb “the childless [woman], she does not give birth.” The verbal clause is intended to serve as a modifier here for the woman. See on subordinate verbal clauses §156.d, f.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“You say, ‘Swift are they on the face of the waters;

their portion is cursed in the land;

no treader turns toward their vineyards.

Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters;

so does Sheol those who have sinned.

The womb forgets them;

the worm finds them sweet;

they are no longer remembered,

so wickedness is broken like a tree.’

“They wrong the barren, childless woman,

and do no good to the widow.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Yet they are foam on the surface of the water;

their portion of the land is cursed,

so that no one goes to the vineyards.

As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,

so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.

The womb forgets them,

the worm feasts on them;

the wicked are no longer remembered

but are broken like a tree.

They prey on the barren and childless woman,

and to the widow they show no kindness.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

They float on the surface of the water.

Their section of the land is cursed,

so that they never go to their vineyards.

As dry ground and heat snatch away the melted snow,

so Sheol steals those who have sinned.

The womb forgets them;

worms feed on them;

they are remembered no more.

So injustice is broken like a tree.

They prey on the childless woman who is unable to conceive,

and do not deal kindly with the widow.

NLTNew Living Translation

“But they disappear like foam down a river.

Everything they own is cursed,

and they are afraid to enter their own vineyards.

The grave consumes sinners

just as drought and heat consume snow.

Their own mothers will forget them.

Maggots will find them sweet to eat.

No one will remember them.

Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm.

They cheat the woman who has no son to help her.

They refuse to help the needy widow.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“He himself is swift on the water’s surface;

their portion is cursed in the land.

No one turns toward the path of their vineyards.

Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters,

like Sheol snatches away those who have sinned.

The womb forgets him.

The maggot feasts on him until he is no longer remembered,

and wickedness is broken like a tree.

He feeds on the barren, who does not have a child,

and does no good to the widow.

KJV 1900King James Version

He is swift as the waters;

Their portion is cursed in the earth:

He beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

Drought and heat consume the snow waters:

So doth the grave those which have sinned.

The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him;

He shall be no more remembered;

And wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not:

And doeth not good to the widow.

Public Domain