Job 41
1 Dost thou draw leviathan with an angle? And with a rope thou lettest down — his tongue?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 Dost thou put a reed in his nose? And with a thorn pierce his jaw?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Doth he multiply unto thee supplications? Doth he speak unto thee tender things?
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 Doth he make a covenant with thee? Dost thou take him for a servant age-during?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Dost thou play with him as a bird? And dost thou bind him for thy damsels?
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 (Feast upon him do companions, 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 Dost thou fill with barbed irons his skin? And with fish-spears his head?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Place on him thy hand, Remember the battle — do not add!
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, the hope of him is found a liar, Also at his appearance is not one cast down?
It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
10 None so fierce that he doth awake him, And who [is] he before Me stationeth himself?
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 brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it [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 do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Who hath uncovered the face of his clothing? Within his double bridle who doth enter?
(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 The doors of his face who hath opened? Round about 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 A pride — strong ones of shields, Shut up — a close seal.
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 One unto another they draw nigh, And air doth not enter between them.
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 One unto another they adhere, They stick together and are not separated.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes [are] as the eyelids of the dawn.
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 do flames go, sparks of fire escape.
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 Out of his nostrils goeth forth smoke, As a blown pot and reeds.
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 setteth coals on fire, And a flame from his mouth goeth forth.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 In his neck lodge doth strength, And before him doth grief exult.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 The flakes of his flesh have adhered — Firm upon him — it is not moved.
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 His heart [is] firm as a stone, Yea, firm as the lower piece.
[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 From his rising are the mighty afraid, From breakings they keep themselves free.
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 his overtaker standeth not, Spear — dart — and lance.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 He reckoneth iron as straw, 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 son of the bow doth not cause him to flee, Turned by him into stubble are stones of the sling.
[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 As stubble have darts been reckoned, And he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.
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 points of clay, He spreadeth gold on 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 causeth to boil as a pot the deep, The sea he maketh as a pot of ointment.
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 After him he causeth a path to shine, One thinketh 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 There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 Every high thing he doth see, He [is] king over all 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.”
