Job 41
1 “[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
| תִּמְשֹׁ֣ךְ לִוְיָתָ֣ן בְּחַכָּ֑ה וּ֝בְחֶ֗בֶל תַּשְׁקִ֥יעַ לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃ |
2 Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
| הֲתָשִׂ֣ים אַגְמ֣וֹן בְּאַפּ֑וֹ וּ֝בְח֗וֹחַ תִּקּ֥וֹב לֶֽחֱיוֹ׃ |
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]?
| הֲיַרְבֶּ֣ה אֵ֭לֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִ֑ים אִם־יְדַבֵּ֖ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ רַכּֽוֹת׃ |
4 Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
| הֲיִכְרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֣ית עִמָּ֑ךְ תִּ֝קָּחֶ֗נּוּ לְעֶ֣בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃ |
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]?
| הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־בּ֭וֹ כַּצִּפּ֑וֹר וְ֝תִקְשְׁרֶ֗נּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ |
6 Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
| יִכְר֣וּ עָ֭לָיו חַבָּרִ֑ים יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ בֵּ֣ין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃ |
7 Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
| הַֽתְמַלֵּ֣א בְשֻׂכּ֣וֹת עוֹר֑וֹ וּבְצִלְצַ֖ל דָּגִ֣ים רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ |
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!
| שִׂים־עָלָ֥יו כַּפֶּ֑ךָ זְכֹ֥ר מִ֝לְחָמָ֗ה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף׃ |
9 It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
| הֵן־תֹּחַלְתּ֥וֹ נִכְזָ֑בָה הֲגַ֖ם אֶל־מַרְאָ֣יו יֻטָֽל׃ |
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]
| לֹֽא־אַ֭כְזָר כִּ֣י יְעוּרֶ֑נּוּ וּמִ֥י ה֝֗וּא לְפָנַ֥י יִתְיַצָּֽב׃ |
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!
| מִ֣י הִ֭קְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם לִי־הֽוּא׃ |
12 I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
| לא ־אַחֲרִ֥ישׁ בַּדָּ֑יו וּדְבַר־גְּ֝בוּר֗וֹת וְחִ֣ין עֶרְכּֽוֹ׃ |
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?)
| מִֽי־גִ֭לָּה פְּנֵ֣י לְבוּשׁ֑וֹ בְּכֶ֥פֶל רִ֝סְנ֗וֹ מִ֣י יָבֽוֹא׃ |
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]
| דַּלְתֵ֣י פָ֭נָיו מִ֣י פִתֵּ֑חַ סְבִיב֖וֹת שִׁנָּ֣יו אֵימָֽה׃ |
15 They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
| גַּ֭אֲוָה אֲפִיקֵ֣י מָֽגִנִּ֑ים סָ֝ג֗וּר חוֹתָ֥ם צָֽר׃ |
16 The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
| אֶחָ֣ד בְּאֶחָ֣ד יִגַּ֑שׁוּ וְ֝ר֗וּחַ לֹא־יָב֥וֹא בֵֽינֵיהֶֽם׃ |
17 The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
| אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֥יהוּ יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ יִ֝תְלַכְּד֗וּ וְלֹ֣א יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃ |
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.
| עֲֽ֭טִישֹׁתָיו תָּ֣הֶל א֑וֹר וְ֝עֵינָ֗יו כְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃ |
19 [It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
| מִ֭פִּיו לַפִּידִ֣ים יַהֲלֹ֑כוּ כִּיד֥וֹדֵי אֵ֝֗שׁ יִתְמַלָּֽטוּ׃ |
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.
| מִ֭נְּחִירָיו יֵצֵ֣א עָשָׁ֑ן כְּד֖וּד נָפ֣וּחַ וְאַגְמֹֽן׃ |
21 Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
| נַ֭פְשׁוֹ גֶּחָלִ֣ים תְּלַהֵ֑ט וְ֝לַ֗הַב מִפִּ֥יו יֵצֵֽא׃ |
22 Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
| בְּֽ֭צַוָּארוֹ יָלִ֣ין עֹ֑ז וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו תָּד֥וּץ דְּאָבָֽה׃ |
23 The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
| מַפְּלֵ֣י בְשָׂר֣וֹ דָבֵ֑קוּ יָצ֥וּק עָ֝לָ֗יו בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃ |
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].
| לִ֭בּוֹ יָצ֣וּק כְּמוֹ־אָ֑בֶן וְ֝יָצ֗וּק כְּפֶ֣לַח תַּחְתִּֽית׃ |
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.
| מִ֭שֵּׂתוֹ יָג֣וּרוּ אֵלִ֑ים מִ֝שְּׁבָרִ֗ים יִתְחַטָּֽאוּ׃ |
26 [People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
| מַשִּׂיגֵ֣הוּ חֶ֭רֶב בְּלִ֣י תָק֑וּם חֲנִ֖ית מַסָּ֣ע וְשִׁרְיָֽה׃ |
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!
| יַחְשֹׁ֣ב לְתֶ֣בֶן בַּרְזֶ֑ל לְעֵ֖ץ רִקָּב֣וֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ |
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.
| לֹֽא־יַבְרִיחֶ֥נּוּ בֶן־קָ֑שֶׁת לְ֝קַ֗שׁ נֶהְפְּכוּ־ל֥וֹ אַבְנֵי־קָֽלַע׃ |
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].
| כְּ֭קַשׁ נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ תוֹתָ֑ח וְ֝יִשְׂחַ֗ק לְרַ֣עַשׁ כִּידֽוֹן׃ |
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.
| תַּ֭חְתָּיו חַדּ֣וּדֵי חָ֑רֶשׂ יִרְפַּ֖ד חָר֣וּץ עֲלֵי־טִֽיט׃ |
31 They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
| יַרְתִּ֣יחַ כַּסִּ֣יר מְצוּלָ֑ה יָ֝֗ם יָשִׂ֥ים כַּמֶּרְקָחָֽה׃ |
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.
| אַ֭חֲרָיו יָאִ֣יר נָתִ֑יב יַחְשֹׁ֖ב תְּה֣וֹם לְשֵׂיבָֽה׃ |
33 There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
| אֵֽין־עַל־עָפָ֥ר מָשְׁל֑וֹ הֶ֝עָשׂ֗וּ לִבְלִי־חָֽת׃ |
34 They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
| אֵֽת־כָּל־גָּבֹ֥הַּ יִרְאֶ֑ה ה֝֗וּא מֶ֣לֶךְ עַל־כָּל־בְּנֵי־שָֽׁחַץ׃ ס |
