Job 41
1 Canst thou draw forth the crocodile with a hook, Or press down his tongue with a cord?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 Canst thou put a rope into his nose, Or pierce his cheek with a hook?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Will he make many entreaties to thee? Will he speak soft words to thee?
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 he make a covenant with thee? Canst thou take him for a servant for ever?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Canst thou play with him, as with a bird? Or canst thou bind him for thy maidens?
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 Do men in company lay snares for him? Do they divide him among the merchants?
Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
7 Canst thou fill his skirt with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Do but lay thy hand upon him, —Thou wilt no more think of battle!
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 vain! Is he not cast down at the very 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 fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he 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 done me a favor, that I must repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven 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 be silent concerning his limbs, And his strength, and the beauty of his armor.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Who can uncover the surface of his garment? Who will approach his jaws?
(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 will open the doors of his face? The rows of his teeth are terrible!
(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 His glory is his strong shields, United with each other, as with a close seal.
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 They are joined one to another, So that no air can come between them.
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 They cleave fast to each other, They hold together, and cannot be separated.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 His sneezing sendeth forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelashes 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 flames, And sparks of fire leap forth.
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 From his nostrils issueth smoke, as from a heated 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 kindleth coals, And flames issue from his mouth.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 In his neck dwelleth strength, And terror danceth before him.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 The flakes of his flesh cleave fast together; They are firm upon him, and cannot be moved.
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 His heart is solid like a stone; Yea, solid like the nether millstone.
[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 When he riseth up, the mighty are afraid; Yea, they lose themselves for terror.
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 The sword of him that assaileth him doth not stand, The spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 He regardeth iron as straw, And brass 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 arrow cannot make him flee; Sling-stones to him become stubble;
[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 Clubs are accounted by him as straw; He laugheth at the shaking of the spear.
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 Under him are sharp potsherds; He spreadeth out a thrashing-sledge upon the mire.
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 deep to boil like a caldron; He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 Behind him he leaveth a shining path; One would think the deep to be hoary.
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 Upon the earth there is not his master; He is made without fear.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 He looketh down upon all that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.
They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
