Job 41
1 “[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth?
2 Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
3 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]?
Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
4 Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?
5 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]?
Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
6 Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
7 Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
8 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!
Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
9 It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
10 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]
He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me?
11 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!
Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
12 I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame.
13 (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?)
Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
14 (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]
Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
15 They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
16 The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
17 The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
18 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.
His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
19 [It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
20 Smoke pours out of their nostrils/noses like steam comes out of a pot that is put over a fire made from dry reeds.
Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
21 Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
23 The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.
24 [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].
His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
25 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.
When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
26 [People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron.
27 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!
Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
28 [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.
The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems.
29 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].
A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
30 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.
Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
31 They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
32 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.
After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
33 There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
34 They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
