Job 41
1 Whether thou schalt mowe drawe out leuyathan with an hook, and schalt bynde with a roop his tunge?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 Whethir thou schalt putte a ryng in hise nosethirlis, ethir schalt perse hyse cheke with `an hook?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Whether he schal multiplie preieris to thee, ether schal speke softe thingis 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 Whether he schal make couenaunt with thee, and `thou schalt take him a seruaunt euerlastinge?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Whether thou schalt scorne hym as a brid, ethir schalt bynde hym to thin handmaidis?
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 Schulen frendis `kerue hym, schulen marchauntis departe hym?
Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
7 Whether thou schalt fille nettis with his skyn, and a `leep of fischis with his heed?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Schalt thou putte thin hond on hym? haue thou mynde of the batel, and adde no more to speke.
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 Lo! his hope schal disseyue hym; and in the siyt of alle men he schal be cast doun.
It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
10 I not as cruel schal reise hym; for who may ayenstonde my face?
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 And who `yaf to me bifore, that Y yelde to hym? Alle thingis, that ben vndur heuene, ben myne.
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 Y schal not spare hym for myyti wordis, and maad faire to biseche.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Who schal schewe the face of his clothing, and who schal entre in to the myddis of his mouth?
(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 schal opene the yatis of his cheer? ferdfulnesse is bi the cumpas of hise teeth.
(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 bodi is as yotun scheldys of bras, and ioyned togidere with scalis ouerleiynge hem silf.
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 Oon is ioyned to another; and sotheli brething goith not thorouy tho.
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 Oon schal cleue to anothir, and tho holdynge hem silf schulen not be departid.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 His fnesynge is as schynynge of fier, and hise iyen ben as iyelidis of the morewtid.
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 Laumpis comen forth of his mouth, as trees of fier, that ben kyndlid.
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 Smoke cometh forth of hise nosethirlis, as of a pot set on the fier `and boilynge.
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 breeth makith colis to brenne, and flawme goith out of his mouth.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 Strengthe schal dwelle in his necke, and nedynesse schal go bifor his face.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 The membris of hise fleischis ben cleuynge togidere to hem silf; God schal sende floodis ayens hym, and tho schulen not be borun to an other place.
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 His herte schal be maad hard as a stoon; and it schal be streyned togidere as the anefeld of a smith.
[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 Whanne he schal be takun awei, aungels schulen drede; and thei aferd schulen be purgid.
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 Whanne swerd takith hym, it may not stonde, nethir spere, nether haburioun.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 For he schal arette irun as chaffis, and bras as rotun tre.
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 A man archere schal not dryue hym awei; stoonys of a slynge ben turned in to stobil to hym.
[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 He schal arette an hamer as stobil; and he schal scorne a florischynge spere.
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 The beemys of the sunne schulen be vndur hym; and he schal strewe to hym silf gold as cley.
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 schal make the depe se to buyle as a pot; and he schal putte, as whanne oynementis buylen.
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 A path schal schyne aftir hym; he schal gesse the greet occian as wexynge eld.
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 No power is on erthe, that schal be comparisound to hym; which is maad, that he schulde drede noon.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 He seeth al hiy thing; he is kyng ouer alle the sones of pride.
They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
