Hiob 41
1 “Àte ŋu atsɔ ƒu aɖe lo le tɔ me alo atsɔ ka abla eƒe aɖe ɖe nu me nɛa?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 Àte ŋu ade ka ŋɔti me nɛ alo atsɔ ƒu aŋɔ eƒe glã?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Anɔ kukuɖeɖe na wò dzi ɖaa be nàkpɔ nublanui nɛa? Aƒo nu na wò kple gbe blewua?
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 Awɔ ɖoɖo kpli wò be nàkplɔe wòanye wò kluvi le eƒe agbe me katã?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Àte ŋu amlae abe xevi ene alo atsɔe ada ɖe avɔ dzi na viwò nyɔnuviwoa?
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 Ɖe asitsalawo atsɔ woƒe adzɔnuwo aɖɔliia? Ɖe woamae ɖe asitsalawo domea?
Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
7 Àte ŋu atsɔ gaƒliwo aŋɔ eƒe ŋutigbalẽ alo atsɔ akplɔ atɔ eƒe ta?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Ne èka asi eŋuti la, àɖo ŋku avuwɔwɔ si yi edzi la dzi eye madzro wò be nàgawɔe o!
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 Mɔkpɔkpɔ be yeate ŋu aɖu edzi nye beble elabena ne èkpɔe teti gɔ̃ hã la, ŋɔ adzi wò.
It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
10 Ame aɖeke medzi ŋɔ de enu ne wòanyɔe o. Ekema ame kae ate ŋu anɔ te ɖe nunye?
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 Ame kae tre nu nanam bena maɖo eteƒe nɛ mahã? Nu sia nu si le ɣea te la nye tɔnye.
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 “Nyemagbe nuƒoƒo le eƒe ata, abɔ, eƒe ŋusẽ kple eƒe nɔnɔme dzeani la ŋu o.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Ame ka ate ŋu aɖe awu si wòdo ɖe edzi la le eŋu? Ame ka ate ŋu ado ɖe egbɔ kple gaƒli?
(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 Ame ka ate ŋu ake eƒe nu, nu si me aɖuwo katã kpe ɖe wo nɔewo nu le kple vɔvɔ̃?
(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 Akpoxɔnuwo ɖo ɖe eƒe dzimegbe eye woɖo ɖe wo nɔewo nu,
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 ɖe sia ɖe lé ɖe nɔvia ŋu ale gbegbe be, ya gɔ̃ hã mate ŋu ato wo dome o.
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 Wolé ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu sesĩe, woku ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu ale gbegbe be, womate ŋu ama wo dome o.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 Eƒe nyenye kea dzo miamiamia eye eƒe ŋkuwo le abe ŋdi ƒe kekeli ene.
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 Dzoxiwo dona tso eƒe nu me, eye nenema kee nye dzo ƒe aɖewo hã.
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 Dzudzɔ dona le eƒe ŋɔtime abe ale si tsize si woɖo aƒladzo dzi la fiena tua dzudzɔe ene.
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 Eƒe gbɔgbɔ dea dzo aka me eye dzo bibi dona tso eƒe nu me.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 Ŋusẽ le eƒe kɔ me eye dɔmedzoe le eŋgɔ.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 Eƒe ayi mlɔ wo nɔewo dzi eye wolé ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu sesĩe, ale be womate ŋu afoe ɖa o.
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 Eƒe akɔta do akpa abe kpe ene eye wòsẽ abe te si dzi wotua nu le la ene.
[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 Ne etso la, ŋɔ dzia ŋusẽtɔwo gɔ̃ hã eye wogbugbɔna ɖe megbe ne wose eƒe afɔzi wògbɔna.
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 Yi si kaa eŋu la mewɔa nanekee o, nenema kee nye akplɔ, aŋutrɔ kple akplɔ nuɖekɛ.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 Gayibɔ le nɛ abe gbe ƒuƒu ene eye akɔbli le abe ati si nyunyɔ la ene.
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 Mesina le aŋutrɔwo nu o eye akafokpewo le nɛ abe blitsro ene.
[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 Kpo le nɛ abe gbe ƒuƒu ene eye ne yi le gbe dom la, eɖia kokoe nɛ.
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 Eƒe dɔme le abe ze gbagbã dzaglidzagliwo ene eye woɖea fli ɖe ba me abe luƒomɔ ene.
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 Enana gogloƒewo fiena wlɔwlɔwlɔ abe aŋɔɖaze ene eye wòblua atsiaƒu me abe amiɖaze me blum wole ene.
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 Egblẽa mɔ si le dzo dzam la ɖe emegbe eye wòtrɔa atsiaƒu wòzua futukpɔ ɣi, ale nàbu be atsiaƒua ɖe wòƒo wɔ ene.
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 Naneke mele anyigba dzi sɔ kplii o, enye nuwɔwɔ si mevɔ̃a naneke o.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 Eklẽa ŋku ɖe nu siwo katã doa wo ɖokui ɖe dzi eye wònye fia ɖe nu siwo katã dana la dzi.”
They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
