58 D. W. Thomas took נֵצַח (netsakh) here to have a superlative meaning: “You prevail utterly against him” (“Use of netsach as a superlative in Hebrew,” 1 [1956]: 107). Death would be God’s complete victory over him.
59 The subject of the participle is most likely God in this context. Some take it to be man, saying “his face changes.” Others emend the text to read an imperfect verb, but this is not necessary.
60 The clause may be interpreted as a conditional clause, with the second clause beginning with the conjunction serving as the apodosis.
61 There is no expressed subject for the verb “they honor,” and so it may be taken as a passive.
62 Death is separation from the living, from the land of the living. And ignorance of what goes on in this life, good or bad, is part of death. See also Eccl 9:5–6, which makes a similar point.
63 The verb is בִּין (bin, “to perceive; to discern”). The parallelism between “know” and “perceive” stress the point that in death a man does not realize what is happening here in the present life.
64 The prepositional phrases using עָלָיו (’alayv, “for him[self]”) express the object of the suffering. It is for himself that the dead man “grieves.” So this has to be joined with אַךְ (’akh), yielding “only for himself.” Then, “flesh” and “soul/person” form the parallelism for the subjects of the verbs.
65 In this verse Job is expressing the common view of life beyond death, namely, that in Sheol there is no contact with the living, only separation, but in Sheol there is a conscious awareness of the dreary existence.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

You prevail forever against him, and he passes;

you change his countenance, and send him away.

His sons come to honor, and he does not know it;

they are brought low, and he perceives it not.

He feels only the pain of his own body,

and he mourns only for himself.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;

you change their countenance and send them away.

If their children are honored, they do not know it;

if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.

They feel but the pain of their own bodies

and mourn only for themselves.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

You completely overpower him, and he passes on;

you change his appearance and send him away.

If his sons receive honor, he does not know it;

if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it.

He feels only the pain of his own body

and mourns only for himself.

NLTNew Living Translation

You always overpower them, and they pass from the scene.

You disfigure them in death and send them away.

They never know if their children grow up in honor

or sink to insignificance.

They suffer painfully;

their life is full of trouble.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

You overpower him forever, and he passes away;

you change his countenance, then you send him away.

His children may come to honor, but he does not know it;

or they may become lowly, but he does not realize it.

He feels only the pain of his own body,

and his inner self mourns for him.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth:

Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not;

And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

But his flesh upon him shall have pain,

And his soul within him shall mourn.

Public Domain