Job 41
1 Canst thou drawe out Liuiathan with an hooke, and with a line which thou shalt cast downe vnto his tongue?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 Canst thou cast an hooke into his nose? canst thou perce his iawes with an angle?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Will he make many prayers vnto thee, or speake thee faire?
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 Will hee make a couenant with thee? and wilt thou take him as a seruant for euer?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bynd him for thy maydes?
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 Shall the companions baket with him? shall they deuide him among the marchants?
Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
7 Canst thou fill the basket with his skinne? or the fishpanier with his head?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Lay thine hand vpon him: remember the battel, and do no more so.
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 Behold, his hope is in vaine: for shall not one perish euen at the sight of him?
It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
10 None is so fearce that dare stirre him vp. Who is he then that can stand before me?
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 Who hath preuented mee that I shoulde make an ende? Al vnder heauen is mine.
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 I will not keepe silence concerning his partes, nor his power nor his comely proportion.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Who can discouer the face of his garmet? or who shall come to him with a double bridle?
(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 Who shall open the doores of his face? his teeth are fearefull round about.
(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 The maiestie of his scales is like strog shields, and are sure sealed.
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 One is set to another, that no winde can come betweene them.
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 One is ioyned to another: they sticke together, that they cannot be sundered.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 His niesings make the light to shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
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 Out of his mouth go lampes, and sparkes of fire leape out.
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 Out of his nostrels commeth out smoke, as out of a boyling pot or caldron.
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 His breath maketh the coales burne: for a flame goeth out of his mouth.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 In his necke remayneth strength, and labour is reiected before his face.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 The members of his bodie are ioyned: they are strong in themselues, and cannot be mooued.
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 His heart is as strong as a stone, and as hard as the nether milstone.
[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 The mightie are afrayd of his maiestie, and for feare they faint in themselues.
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 When the sword doeth touch him, he will not rise vp, nor for the speare, dart nor habergeon.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 He esteemeth yron as strawe, and brasse as rotten wood.
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 The archer canot make him flee: ye stones of the sling are turned into stubble vnto him:
[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 The dartes are counted as strawe: and hee laugheth at the shaking of the speare.
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 Sharpe stones are vnder him, and he spreadeth sharpe things vpon the myre.
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 He maketh the depth to boyle like a pot, and maketh the sea like a pot of oyntment.
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 He maketh a path to shine after him: one would thinke the depth as an hoare head.
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 In the earth there is none like him: hee is made without feare.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 He beholdeth al hie things: he is a King ouer all the children of pride.
They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
