23 The idiom is “he uncovers the ear of men.” This expression means “inform” in Ruth 4:4; 1 Sam 20:2, etc. But when God is the subject it means “make a revelation” (see 1 Sam 9:15; 2 Sam 7:27).
24 Heb “and seals their bonds.” The form of the present translation, “and terrifies them with warnings,” is derived only by emending the text. Aquila, the , , and Job have “their correction” for “their bond,” which is what the used. But the , Aquila, and the have “terrifies” for the verb. This involves a change in pointing from יָחְתֹּם (yakhtom) to יְחִתֵּם (yékhittem). The has “appearances of fear” instead of “bonds.” The point of the verse seems to be that by terrifying dreams God makes people aware of their ways.
25 The simply has מַעֲשֶׂה (ma’aseh, “deed”). The has “from his iniquity” which would have been מֵעַוְלָה (me’avlah). The two letters may have dropped out by haplography. The is workable, but would have to mean “[evil] deeds.”
26 Here too the sense of the is difficult to recover. Some translations took it to mean that God hides pride from man. Many commentators changed יְכַסֶּה (yékhasseh, “covers”) to יְכַסֵּחַ (yékhasseakh, “he cuts away”), or יְכַלֶּה (yékhalleh, “he puts an end to”). The various emendations are not all that convincing.
27 A number of interpreters and translations take this as “the pit” (see Job 17:14; cf. , , , ).
28 Here is another difficult line. The verb normally means “to pass through; to pass over,” and so this word would normally mean “from passing through [or over].” The word שֶׁלַח (shelakh) does at times refer to a weapon, but most commentators look for a parallel with “the pit [or corruption].” One suggestion is שְׁאוֹלָה (shé’olah, “to Sheol”), proposed by Duhm. Dhorme thought it was שַׁלַח (shalakh) and referred to the passageway to the underworld (see M. Tsevat, 4 [1954]: 43; and Svi Rin, 7 [1963]: 25). See discussion of options in IV שֶׁלַח. The idea of crossing the river of death fits the idea of the passage well, although the reading “to perish by the sword” makes sense and was followed by the .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

In a dream, in a vision of the night,

when deep sleep falls on men,

while they slumber on their beds,

then he opens the ears of men

and terrifies them with warnings,

that he may turn man aside from his deed

and conceal pride from a man;

he keeps back his soul from the pit,

his life from perishing by the sword.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

In a dream, in a vision of the night,

when deep sleep falls on people

as they slumber in their beds,

he may speak in their ears

and terrify them with warnings,

to turn them from wrongdoing

and keep them from pride,

to preserve them from the pit,

their lives from perishing by the sword.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

In a dream, a vision in the night,

when deep sleep comes over people

as they slumber on their beds,

he uncovers their ears

and terrifies them with warnings,

in order to turn a person from his actions

and suppress the pride of a person.

God spares his soul from the Pit,

his life from crossing the river of death.

NLTNew Living Translation

He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night,

when deep sleep falls on people

as they lie in their beds.

He whispers in their ears

and terrifies them with warnings.

He makes them turn from doing wrong;

he keeps them from pride.

He protects them from the grave,

from crossing over the river of death.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“In a dream, a vision of the night,

when a deep sleep falls on men slumbering on their bed,

then he opens the ear of men,

and he frightens them with a warning

to turn human beings aside from their deeds,

and he keeps man from pride.

He spares his life from the pit

and his life from passing over the river of death.

KJV 1900King James Version

In a dream, in a vision of the night,

When deep sleep falleth upon men,

In slumberings upon the bed;

Then he openeth the ears of men,

And sealeth their instruction,

That he may withdraw man from his purpose,

And hide pride from man.

He keepeth back his soul from the pit,

And his life from perishing by the sword.

Public Domain