Job 41
1 Tireras-tu Léviathan avec un hameçon, et lui serreras-tu la langue avec une corde?
Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth?
2 Lui passeras-tu un jonc dans les narines, et lui perceras-tu la mâchoire avec un anneau?
Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
3 T'adressera-t-il d'ardentes prières, te dira-t-il de douces paroles?
Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
4 Fera-t-il une alliance avec toi, le prendras-tu toujours à ton service?
Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?
5 Joueras-tu avec lui comme avec un passereau, l'attacheras-tu pour amuser tes filles?
Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
6 Les pêcheurs associés en font-ils le commerce, le partagent-ils entre les marchands?
Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
7 Cribleras-tu sa peau de dards, perceras-tu sa tête du harpon?
Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
8 Essaie de mettre la main sur lui: souviens-toi du combat, et tu n'y reviendras plus.
Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
9 Voici que le chasseur est trompé dans son attente; la vue du monstre suffit à le terrasser.
Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
10 Nul n'est assez hardi pour provoquer Léviathan: qui donc oserait me résister en face?
He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me?
11 Qui m'a obligé, pour que j'aie à lui rendre? Tout ce qui est sous le ciel est à moi.
Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
12 Je ne veux pas taire ses membres, sa force, l'harmonie de sa structure.
I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame.
13 Qui jamais a soulevé le bord de sa cuirasse? Qui a franchi la double ligne de son râtelier?
Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
14 Qui a ouvert les portes de sa gueule? Autour de ses dents habite la terreur.
Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
15 Superbes sont les lignes de ses écailles, comme des sceaux étroitement serrés.
His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
16 Chacune touche sa voisine; un souffle ne passerait pas entre elles.
One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
17 Elles adhèrent l'une à l'autre, elles sont jointes et ne sauraient se séparer.
They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
18 Ses éternuements font jaillir la lumière, ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l'aurore.
His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
19 Des flammes jaillissent de sa gueule, il s'en échappe des étincelles de feu.
Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
20 Une fumée sort de ses narines, comme d'une chaudière ardente et bouillante.
Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
21 Son souffle allume les charbons, de sa bouche s'élance la flamme.
His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Dans son cou réside la force, devant lui bondit l'épouvante.
Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
23 Les muscles de sa chair tiennent ensemble; fondus sur lui, inébranlables.
The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.
24 Son cœur est dur comme la pierre, dur comme la meule inférieure.
His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
25 Quand il se lève, les plus braves ont peur, l'épouvante les fait défaillir.
When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
26 Qu'on l'attaque avec l'épée, l'épée ne résiste pas, ni la lance, ni le javelot, ni la flèche.
The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron.
27 Il tient le fer pour de la paille, l'airain comme un bois vermoulu.
Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
28 La fille de l'arc ne le fait pas fuir, les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui un fétu;
The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems.
29 la massue, un brin de chaume; il se rit du fracas des piques.
A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
30 Sous son ventre sont des tessons aigus: on dirait une herse qu'il étend sur le limon.
Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
31 Il fait bouillonner l'abîme comme une chaudière, il fait de la mer un vase de parfums.
The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
32 Il laisse après lui un sillage de lumière, on dirait que l'abîme a des cheveux blancs.
After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
33 Il n'a pas son égal sur la terre, il a été créé pour ne rien craindre.
On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
34 Il regarde en face tout ce qui est élevé, il est le roi des plus fiers animaux.
Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
