Only grant two things to me is literally “Two things only do not do to me.” Job addresses God in verse 20, and his two requests are spelled out in verse 21. These are conditions which Job requires to ensure himself a fair hearing. If these requests are granted, Job says, then I will not hide myself from thy face, meaning that he will appear before God to hear God’s accusations against him. From thy face means “from you” or “from God.” In translation it may be necessary to rearrange verse 20 so that line b is stated first, as a condition, and then line a as an “if” clause; for example, “I will not hide myself from you, God, if you will give me two things,” or stated positively, “I will appear before you, God, if you will grant me two requests.” In some languages the “if” clause must precede the consequence; for example, “If you will grant me two requests, God, I will come into your presence.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .