Job 41
1 Tireras-tu le léviathan avec un hameçon, et avec une corde lui feras-tu y enfoncer sa langue?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 Lui mettras-tu un jonc dans le nez, et lui perceras-tu la mâchoire avec un crochet?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Te fera-t-il beaucoup de supplications, ou te dira-t-il des choses douces?
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 Fera-t-il une alliance avec toi? Le prendras-tu comme serviteur à toujours?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Joueras-tu avec lui comme avec un oiseau, et l’attacheras-tu pour tes jeunes filles?
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 Des associés feront-ils trafic de lui? Le partageront-ils entre des marchands?
Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
7 Rempliras-tu sa peau de dards, et sa tête de harpons à poissons?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Mets ta main sur lui: souviens-toi de la bataille, – n’y reviens pas!
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 Voici, on est déçu dans son attente; même à sa vue, n’est-on pas terrassé?
It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
10 Nul n’est assez hardi pour le réveiller; et qui est celui qui se présentera devant moi?
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 Qui m’a prévenu, et je lui rendrai? Tout ce qui est sous les cieux est à moi.
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 Je ne me tairai pas sur ses membres, sur ce qui concerne ses forces et sur la beauté de sa structure.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Qui a mis à découvert le dessus de son vêtement? Qui pénétrera dans sa double mâchoire?
(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 Qui ouvrira les portes de son museau? Autour de ses dents est la terreur!
(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 Il est magnifique par la force de ses boucliers étroitement unis comme par un sceau;
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 L’un touche à l’autre, et le vent ne pénétrerait pas entre eux;
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 L’un est attaché à l’autre, ils se tiennent et ne se séparent pas.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 Ses éternuements font jaillir la lumière, et ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l’aurore.
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 Des flammes sortent de sa gueule; des étincelles de feu s’en échappent;
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 Une fumée sort de ses narines comme d’un pot qui bouillonne, comme d’une chaudière ardente;
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 Son souffle allumerait des charbons, et une flamme sort de sa gueule.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 Dans son cou loge la force, et la frayeur danse devant lui.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 Les plis de sa chair adhèrent ensemble: coulés sur lui, ils ne bougent pas;
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 Son cœur est dur comme une pierre, dur comme la meule inférieure.
[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 Quand il se lève, les forts ont peur, ils s’enfuient saisis d’épouvante.
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 Quand on l’atteint de l’épée, elle n’a aucun effet, ni la lance, ni le dard, ni la cuirasse.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 Il estime le fer comme de la paille, l’airain comme du bois vermoulu.
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 La flèche ne le met pas en fuite; les pierres de fronde se changent pour lui en du chaume.
[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 Il estime la massue comme du chaume, et il se rit du bruit du javelot.
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 Sous lui sont des tessons pointus; il étend une herse sur la vase.
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 Il fait bouillonner l’eau profonde comme une marmite, il fait de la mer comme un pot d’onguent;
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 Il fait briller après lui [son] sillage; on prendrait l’abîme pour des cheveux gris.
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 Il n’a pas son semblable sur la terre: il a été fait pour être sans peur.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 Il regarde tout ce qui est élevé; il est roi sur tous les fiers animaux.
They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
