Job 41
1 “[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
Tu tireras le Léviathan avec un hameçon? et tu serreras sa langue avec une corde?
2 Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
Mettras-tu un jonc dans ses narines, perceras-tu sa joue avec un crochet?
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]?
T'adressera-t-il beaucoup de prières, et te dira-t-il de douces paroles?
4 Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
Fera-t-il un accord avec toi, et le prendras-tu pour esclave à toujours?
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]?
En joueras-tu comme d'un oiseau, et l'attacheras-tu pour amuser tes filles?
6 Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
Les associés en feront-ils commerce, le partageront-ils entre des marchands?
7 Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
Perceras-tu sa peau d'un dard, et sa tête d'un harpon?
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!
Mets ta main sur lui: tu te souviendras de la bataille, et tu n'y reviendras pas.
9 It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
Voici, tout espoir de le prendre est trompé; à son seul aspect on est jeté à terre!
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]
Il n'y a point d'homme si hardi qui l'ose réveiller; et qui se tiendra debout devant moi?
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!
Qui m'a fait des avances, et je lui rendrai? Tout ce qui est sous les cieux est à moi.
12 I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
Je ne me tairai pas sur ses membres, sur ses forces, et sur la beauté de sa stature.
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?)
Qui a soulevé le dessus de son vêtement? Qui est entré dans sa double mâchoire?
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]
Qui a ouvert les portes de sa gueule? La terreur est autour de ses dents.
15 They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
Ses puissants boucliers sont superbes; ils sont fermés, étroitement scellés.
16 The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
Ils se touchent l'un l'autre, le vent ne passe point entre eux.
17 The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
Ils sont adhérents l'un à l'autre; ils se tiennent, ils ne se séparent point.
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.
Ses éternuements jettent un éclat de lumière, et ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l'aurore.
19 [It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
De sa bouche sortent des lueurs, et s'échappent des étincelles de feu.
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.
De ses narines sort une fumée, comme d'un vase qui bout ou d'une chaudière.
21 Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
Son souffle enflammerait des charbons, et une flamme sort de sa gueule.
22 Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
Dans son cou réside la force, et la terreur marche devant lui.
23 The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
Les fanons de sa chair sont adhérents; ils sont massifs, inébranlables.
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].
Son cœur est massif comme une pierre, massif comme la meule de dessous.
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.
Quand il se lève, les plus forts tremblent, ils défaillent d'effroi.
26 [People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
Quand on l'approche, l'épée ne sert à rien, ni la lance, ni le dard, ni la cuirasse.
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!
Il regarde le fer comme de la paille, et l'airain comme du bois pourri.
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.
La flèche ne le fait pas fuir, les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui comme du chaume;
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].
Comme du chaume, la massue; il se rit du frémissement des javelots.
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.
Son ventre a des tessons pointus: il étend une herse sur le limon.
31 They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
Il fait bouillonner le gouffre comme une chaudière, il rend la mer semblable à un vase de parfumeur.
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.
Il laisse après lui une trace brillante, on dirait sur l'abîme une blanche chevelure.
33 There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
Il n'a pas son pareil sur la terre; il a été fait pour ne rien craindre.
34 They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
Il regarde tout ce qui est élevé; il est roi des plus fiers animaux.
