Hiob 41
1 “Àte ŋu atsɔ ƒu aɖe lo le tɔ me alo atsɔ ka abla eƒe aɖe ɖe nu me nɛa?
Canst thou draw out the crocodile with a fishhook? or cause his tongue to sink into the batted rope?
2 Àte ŋu ade ka ŋɔti me nɛ alo atsɔ ƒu aŋɔ eƒe glã?
Canst thou put a reed through his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3 Anɔ kukuɖeɖe na wò dzi ɖaa be nàkpɔ nublanui nɛa? Aƒo nu na wò kple gbe blewua?
Will he address many supplications unto thee? or will he speak submissively unto thee?
4 Awɔ ɖoɖo kpli wò be nàkplɔe wòanye wò kluvi le eƒe agbe me katã?
Will he make a covenant with thee? that thou couldst take him as a servant for ever?
5 Àte ŋu amlae abe xevi ene alo atsɔe ada ɖe avɔ dzi na viwò nyɔnuviwoa?
Canst thou play with him as with a bird? and tie him up for thy maidens?
6 Ɖe asitsalawo atsɔ woƒe adzɔnuwo aɖɔliia? Ɖe woamae ɖe asitsalawo domea?
Can companions waylay him? can they divide him among merchants?
7 Àte ŋu atsɔ gaƒliwo aŋɔ eƒe ŋutigbalẽ alo atsɔ akplɔ atɔ eƒe ta?
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? and [pierce] with a fish-spear his head?
8 Ne èka asi eŋuti la, àɖo ŋku avuwɔwɔ si yi edzi la dzi eye madzro wò be nàgawɔe o!
Lay thy hand upon him; think of the battle: thou wilt never do it again.
9 Mɔkpɔkpɔ be yeate ŋu aɖu edzi nye beble elabena ne èkpɔe teti gɔ̃ hã la, ŋɔ adzi wò.
Behold, his expectation was deceived: even at his mere sight is he cast down.
10 Ame aɖeke medzi ŋɔ de enu ne wòanyɔe o. Ekema ame kae ate ŋu anɔ te ɖe nunye?
None is so daring that he would stir him up: and who is there that will stand up before me?
11 Ame kae tre nu nanam bena maɖo eteƒe nɛ mahã? Nu sia nu si le ɣea te la nye tɔnye.
Who hath shown me favor, that I should repay him! whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.—
12 “Nyemagbe nuƒoƒo le eƒe ata, abɔ, eƒe ŋusẽ kple eƒe nɔnɔme dzeani la ŋu o.
I will not conceal [the account of] his limbs, nor the relation of his might, nor the grace of his proportion.
13 Ame ka ate ŋu aɖe awu si wòdo ɖe edzi la le eŋu? Ame ka ate ŋu ado ɖe egbɔ kple gaƒli?
Who hath ever laid open the front of his garment? or who can penetrate into his double row of teeth?
14 Ame ka ate ŋu ake eƒe nu, nu si me aɖuwo katã kpe ɖe wo nɔewo nu le kple vɔvɔ̃?
Who hath opened the doors of his face? all round about his teeth abideth terror.
15 Akpoxɔnuwo ɖo ɖe eƒe dzimegbe eye woɖo ɖe wo nɔewo nu,
What pride is there in [his] strong shields; he is locked up as with a close seal.
16 ɖe sia ɖe lé ɖe nɔvia ŋu ale gbegbe be, ya gɔ̃ hã mate ŋu ato wo dome o.
One is joined to another; and no breath can come between them.
17 Wolé ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu sesĩe, woku ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu ale gbegbe be, womate ŋu ama wo dome o.
They are fitted closely one to another: they are interlocked, that they cannot be severed.
18 Eƒe nyenye kea dzo miamiamia eye eƒe ŋkuwo le abe ŋdi ƒe kekeli ene.
From his sneezing there beameth forth a light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning-dawn.
19 Dzoxiwo dona tso eƒe nu me, eye nenema kee nye dzo ƒe aɖewo hã.
Out of his mouth issue burning torches, sparks of fire escape [therefrom].
20 Dzudzɔ dona le eƒe ŋɔtime abe ale si tsize si woɖo aƒladzo dzi la fiena tua dzudzɔe ene.
Out of his nostrils cometh forth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21 Eƒe gbɔgbɔ dea dzo aka me eye dzo bibi dona tso eƒe nu me.
His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh out of his mouth.
22 Ŋusẽ le eƒe kɔ me eye dɔmedzoe le eŋgɔ.
In his neck abideth strength, and before him danceth terror joyfully.
23 Eƒe ayi mlɔ wo nɔewo dzi eye wolé ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu sesĩe, ale be womate ŋu afoe ɖa o.
The flakes of his flesh are fitted closely together: they are as molten metal on him, immovable.
24 Eƒe akɔta do akpa abe kpe ene eye wòsẽ abe te si dzi wotua nu le la ene.
His heart is firm like a stone: yea, as firm as the nether millstone.
25 Ne etso la, ŋɔ dzia ŋusẽtɔwo gɔ̃ hã eye wogbugbɔna ɖe megbe ne wose eƒe afɔzi wògbɔna.
At his lifting himself up the mighty are terrified: the waves also are lessened.
26 Yi si kaa eŋu la mewɔa nanekee o, nenema kee nye akplɔ, aŋutrɔ kple akplɔ nuɖekɛ.
If one overtake him with the sword, it cannot hold; nor the spear, the dart, and armor.
27 Gayibɔ le nɛ abe gbe ƒuƒu ene eye akɔbli le abe ati si nyunyɔ la ene.
He esteemeth iron as straw, [and] brass as rotten wood.
28 Mesina le aŋutrɔwo nu o eye akafokpewo le nɛ abe blitsro ene.
The child of the bow cannot make him flee: into stubble are slingstones changed unto him.
29 Kpo le nɛ abe gbe ƒuƒu ene eye ne yi le gbe dom la, eɖia kokoe nɛ.
Clubs are esteemed as stubble, and he laugheth at the whirring of the lance.
30 Eƒe dɔme le abe ze gbagbã dzaglidzagliwo ene eye woɖea fli ɖe ba me abe luƒomɔ ene.
Beneath him are sharp-pointed potsherds, he spreadeth out, [as it were, a] threshing-roller upon the mire.
31 Enana gogloƒewo fiena wlɔwlɔwlɔ abe aŋɔɖaze ene eye wòblua atsiaƒu me abe amiɖaze me blum wole ene.
He causeth the deep to boil like a pot: he rendereth the sea like an apothecary's mixture.
32 Egblẽa mɔ si le dzo dzam la ɖe emegbe eye wòtrɔa atsiaƒu wòzua futukpɔ ɣi, ale nàbu be atsiaƒua ɖe wòƒo wɔ ene.
Behind him he causeth his pathway to shine, [so that] men esteem the deep to be hoary.
33 Naneke mele anyigba dzi sɔ kplii o, enye nuwɔwɔ si mevɔ̃a naneke o.
There is none upon earth that ruleth over him, who is made to be without dread.
34 Eklẽa ŋku ɖe nu siwo katã doa wo ɖokui ɖe dzi eye wònye fia ɖe nu siwo katã dana la dzi.”
He looketh upon all that is high: he is the king over all the ravenous beasts.
