tremble, tremble, tremble

Another overlapping set of words - tremble or crush or break or broke or worry or dismay. Sometimes it causes me to ... In particular it causes me to wonder how we are protected from the subjective opinion of the translator as to which word is appropriate in which situation. How can the translator do anything except impose on the reader! How gentle are we! How is transparency achieved? Who is to say what is equivalent? And how confusing and error-prone we can be. A sudden thought ill-considered, not followed up, a break-out of too much complexity at once...

Chapter 31 is almost done - it has caused all this anguish. And gentles, my reading even on the surface differs from some. For example, Job 31:34 below is one that is different - I did not translate opening (פתח) as 'door'. It is not the same door as the door of Job 31:32 (דלת) or the gate (שער) of Job 31:21. I am beginning to think that concordant translation is a good target - even better than I had thought already. I did it first for structure and sound. In this case, the idea of an 'opening' lends itself also to a metaphorical meaning - the word is used twice only in Job as a frame in chapter 31 and it fits both contexts very well.

I pondered printing the remaining chapters in this form, but I think we don't read this form so easily. We need a different space for the words.

ה כִּי עַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵל	4.5	for now it comes to you and you will do nothing it reaches you and you are dismayed
יד פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמוֹתַי הִפְחִיד	4.14	dread met me and trembling and my many bones were in dread
יט אַף שֹׁכְנֵי בָתֵּי-חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר-בֶּעָפָר יְסוֹדָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי-עָשׁ	4.19	as for those that live in clay houses with dust for foundation who are crushed before their maker
ד יִרְחֲקוּ בָנָיו מִיֶּשַׁע וְיִדַּכְּאוּ בַשַּׁעַר וְאֵין מַצִּיל	5.4	his children are far from safety and they are crushed in the gate and there is no one to rescue
ט וְיֹאֵל אֱלוֹהַּ וִידַכְּאֵנִי יַתֵּר יָדוֹ וִיבַצְּעֵנִי	6.9	and God would be humored to crush me that he would let go his hand and finish me
כא כִּי-עַתָּה הֱיִיתֶם לֹא תִּרְאוּ חֲתַת וַתִּירָאוּ	6.21	for now you are with him you see brokenness and you are afraid
יד וְחִתַּתַּנִי בַחֲלֹמוֹת וּמֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת תְּבַעֲתַנִּי	7.14	then you break me with dreams and with visions terrify me
כה הֶעָלֶה נִדָּף תַּעֲרוֹץ וְאֶת-קַשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּף	13.25	a scattered leaf will worry you? and dry stubble will you hound?
ב עַד-אָנָה תּוֹגְיוּן נַפְשִׁי וּתְדַכְּאוּנַנִי בְמִלִּים	19.2	How long will you grieve my being and crush me with speeches
כו כָּל-חֹשֶׁךְ טָמוּן לִצְפּוּנָיו תְּאָכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹא-נֻפָּח יֵרַע שָׂרִיד בְּאָהֳלוֹ	20.26	all darkness is buried in his treasures fire not blown consumes him one left in his tent will tremble
ו וְאִם-זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצוּת	21.6	even if I remember and am dismayed and shuddering grasps my flesh
יג יבלו (יְכַלּוּ) בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָתּוּ	21.13	they decay in the good of their days and in a moment to Sheol, they are broken
ט אַלְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּחְתָּ רֵיקָם וּזְרֹעוֹת יְתֹמִים יְדֻכָּא	22.9	widows you have sent away empty and the arms of the orphan are crushed
י עַל-כֵּן סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ פַחִים וִיבַהֶלְךָ פַּחַד פִּתְאֹם	22.10	therefore on your every side are traps and dread dismays you suddenly
טו עַל-כֵּן מִפָּנָיו אֶבָּהֵל אֶתְבּוֹנֵן וְאֶפְחַד מִמֶּנּוּ	23.15	therefore from his face I am dismayed I am understanding and I have dread from him
טז וְאֵל הֵרַךְ לִבִּי וְשַׁדַּי הִבְהִילָנִי	23.16	for God makes tender my heart and the Sufficient dismays me
לד כִּי אֶעֱרוֹץ הָמוֹן רַבָּה וּבוּז-מִשְׁפָּחוֹת יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא-אֵצֵא פָתַח	31.34	as if I was worried by a great crowd or broken by the contempt of tribes and I kept silence and did not take the opening