Job 6:26

Do you intend to criticize mere words, and treat ¹  the words of a despairing man as wind?

Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat the words of a despairing man as wind?

"Do you intend to reprove my words, When the words of one in despair belong to the wind?

Do you think your words are convincing when you disregard my cry of desperation?

You pretend to tell me what's wrong with my life, but treat my words of anguish as so much hot air.

My words may seem wrong to you, but the words of him who has no hope are for the wind.

Do you think that you can reprove words, as if the speech of the desperate were wind?

Do you intend to rebuke my words, And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?

Do you intend to criticize mere words, and treat ¹  the words of a despairing man as wind?

¹ tn This, in the context, is probably the meaning, although the Hebrew simply has the line after the first half of the verse read: “and as/to wind the words of a despairing man.” The line could be translated “and the words of a despairing man, [which are] as wind.” But this translation follows the same approach as RSV, NIV, and NAB, which take the idiom of the verb (“think, imagine”) with the preposition on “wind” to mean “reckon as wind” – “and treat the words of a despairing man as wind.”