Yobu 41
1 “Kodi ungathe kukoka ngʼona ndi mbedza ya nsomba kapena kukanikiza lilime lake pansi ndi chingwe?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 Kodi ungathe kumanga chingwe mʼmphuno mwake, kapena kubowola nsagwada zake ndi mbedza?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Kodi ngʼonayo idzakupempha kuti uyichitire chifundo? Kodi idzakuyankhula ndi mawu ofatsa?
Will they plead with you to act mercifully toward them or (use sweet talk/speak to you nicely) [in order that you will not harm them]?
4 Kodi idzachita nawe mgwirizano kuti uyisandutse kapolo wako mpaka muyaya?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Kodi udzasewera nayo ngati mbalame, kapena kuyimangirira kuti atsikana ako asewere nayo?
Can you cause them to become pets like you cause birds to become your pets? Can you put a leash/rope around their [necks] so that your servant girls [can play with them]?
6 Kodi anthu adzayitsatsa malonda? Nanga amalondawo nʼkugawanagawana nyama yake kuti akagulitse?
Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
7 Kodi chikopa chake ungathe kuchilasa ndi zisonga, kapena kubowola mutu wake ndi nthungo zophera nsomba?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Ukayiputa udziwe kuti pali nkhondo, ndipo iweyo sudzabwereranso.
If you grab one of them with your hands, it will fight you in a way that you will never forget, and you will never try to do it again!
9 Chiyembekezo choti nʼkuyigonjetsa ndi chabodza; kungoyiona kokha, ndithu iwe kumangodzigwera wekha.
It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
10 Palibe wolimba mtima kuti ndi kuyiputa. Ndani angalimbe mtima kulimbana ndi Ine?
No one dares/tries to (arouse them/cause them to be angry). So, [since I am much more powerful than they are, ] (who would dare to cause me to be angry?/no one would dare to cause me to be angry!) [RHQ]
11 Kodi ndani anandipatsa kanthu kuti ndimubwezere? Zonse za pansi pa thambo ndi zanga.
Also, everything on the earth is mine. Therefore, no one [RHQ] is able to give anything to me and require me to pay [money] for it!
12 “Sindidzaleka kuyankhula za ziwalo zake za chirombocho, za mphamvu zake ndiponso za maonekedwe a thupi lake.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Ndani angasende chikopa chake? Ndani angayiyandikire kuti abowole chikopa chake cholimbacho?
(Can anyone strip off their hides?/No one is able to strip off their hides.) [RHQ] (Can anyone try to put bridles on them?/No one can try to put bridles on them.) [RHQ] (OR, Can anyone pierce their very thick hides?)
14 Ndani angatsekule kukamwa kwake, pakamwa pamene pazunguliridwa ndi mano ochititsa mantha?
(Can anyone pry open their jaws, which have terrible teeth in them?/No one can pry open their jaws, which have terrible teeth in them!) [RHQ]
15 Kumsana kwake kuli mizere ya mamba onga zishango zolumikizanalumikizana;
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 Mambawo ndi olukanalukana kotero kuti mpweya sungathe kulowa pakati pake.
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 Ndi olumikizanalumikizana; ndi omatirirana kwambiri kotero kuti sangathe kulekana.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 Kuyetsemula kwake kumatulutsa mbaliwali; maso ake amawala ngati kuwala kwa mʼbandakucha.
When crocodiles sneeze, [the tiny drops of water that come out of their noses] sparkle in the sunlight. Their eyes are red like the rising sun.
19 Mʼkamwa mwake mumatuluka nsakali zamoto ndipo mumathetheka mbaliwali zamoto.
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 Mʼmphuno mwake mumatuluka utsi ngati wa mʼnkhali yowira yomwe ili pa moto wa bango.
Smoke pours out of their nostrils/noses like steam comes out of a pot that is put over a fire made from dry reeds.
21 Mpweya wake umayatsa makala, ndipo malawi amoto amatuluka mʼkamwa mwake.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 Mphamvu zake zili mʼkhosi mwake; aliyense wokumana nayo amangoti njenjenje ndi mantha.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 Minyewa ya thupi lake ndi yolumikizana ndipo ndi yokhwima kwambiri ndi yolimba.
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 Pachifuwa pake ndi powuma ngati mwala, ndi pa gwaa, ngati mwala wamphero.
[They are fearless, because] the inner parts of their bodies are as hard as a rock, as hard as the lower millstone [on which grain is ground].
25 Ngʼonayo ikangovuwuka, ndi anthu amphamvu omwe amaopa; amabwerera mʼmbuyo, kuthawa.
When they rise up, they cause [even] very strong people to be terrified. As a result, people (fall back/run away) when crocodiles thrash around.
26 Ngakhale ikanthidwe ndi lupanga, lupangalo silichita kanthu, ngakhale mkondo, muvi ndi nthungo, zonse zimalephera.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 Chitsulo imachiyesa ngati phesi chabe ndi mkuwa ngati chikuni chowola.
They [certainly are not afraid of weapons made of] straw or rotten wood, but [they are not even afraid of weapons made of] iron or bronze!
28 Muvi sungathe kuyithawitsa, miyala imene ayilasa nayo imangoyinyenyanyenya.
[Shooting] arrows [at them] does not cause them to run away. [Hurling] stones at them from a sling is like [hurling] bits of chaff at them.
29 Zibonga zimakhala ngati ziputu; imangoseka pamene akuyibaya ndi nthungo.
They are not afraid of clubs [any more than they would be afraid of men throwing] bits of straw [at them], and they laugh when they hear the whirl/sound of javelins [being thrown at them].
30 Mamba a ku mimba kwake ali ngati chopunthira chakunthwa ndipo imasiya mkukuluzi mʼmatope ngati galeta lopunthira tirigu.
Their bellies are covered with scales that are as sharp as broken pieces of pottery. When they drag themselves through the mud, their bellies tear up the ground like a plow.
31 Imagadutsa madzi ozama ngati madzi a mʼnkhali, imachititsa nyanja kuti iwire ngati mbiya yoyengera mafuta.
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 Kumbuyo kwake imasiya nthubwitubwi zambee, kotero kuti munthu angaganize kuti nyanja yachita imvi.
As they go through the water, the (wakes/trails in the water behind them) glisten. People [who see it] would think that the foam in those wakes had become white hair.
33 Pa dziko lapansi palibe china chofanana nacho, nʼcholengedwa chopanda mantha.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 Chimanyoza nyama zina zonse; icho chija ndi mfumu ya nyama zonse.”
They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
