Job 41
1 Prendras-tu le crocodile à l’hameçon? Saisiras-tu sa 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 Mettras-tu un jonc dans ses narines? Lui perceras-tu la mâchoire avec un crochet?
Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
3 Te pressera-t-il de supplication? Te parlera-t-il d’une voix douce?
Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
4 Fera-t-il une alliance avec toi, Pour devenir à toujours ton esclave?
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 oiseau? L’attacheras-tu pour amuser tes jeunes filles?
Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
6 Les pêcheurs en trafiquent-ils? Le partagent-ils entre les marchands?
Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
7 Couvriras-tu sa peau de dards, Et sa tête de harpons?
Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
8 Dresse ta main contre lui, Et tu ne t’aviseras plus de l’attaquer.
Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
9 Voici, on est trompé dans son attente; A son seul aspect n’est-on pas terrassé?
Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
10 Nul n’est assez hardi pour l’exciter; Qui donc me résisterait 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 De qui suis-je le débiteur? Je le paierai. Sous le ciel tout m’appartient.
Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
12 Je veux encore parler de ses membres, Et de sa force, et de la beauté 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 soulèvera son vêtement? Qui pénétrera entre ses mâchoires?
Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
14 Qui ouvrira 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 Ses magnifiques et puissants boucliers Sont unis ensemble comme par un sceau;
His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
16 Ils se serrent l’un contre l’autre, Et l’air ne passerait pas entre eux;
One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
17 Ce sont des frères qui s’embrassent, Se saisissent, demeurent inséparables.
They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
18 Ses éternuements font briller 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 bouche, Des étincelles de feu s’en échappent.
Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
20 Une fumée sort de ses narines, Comme d’un vase qui bout, d’une chaudière ardente.
Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
21 Son souffle allume les charbons, Sa gueule lance la flamme.
His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 La force a son cou pour demeure, Et l’effroi bondit au-devant de lui.
Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
23 Ses parties charnues tiennent ensemble, Fondues 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 vaillants ont peur, Et l’épouvante les fait fuir.
When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
26 C’est en vain qu’on l’attaque avec l’épée; La lance, le javelot, la cuirasse, ne servent à rien.
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 regarde le fer comme de la paille, L’airain comme du bois pourri.
Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
28 La flèche ne le met pas en fuite, Les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui du chaume.
The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems.
29 Il ne voit dans la massue qu’un brin de paille, Il rit au sifflement des dards.
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 pointes aiguës: 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 bouillir le fond de la mer comme une chaudière, Il l’agite comme un vase rempli de parfums.
The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
32 Il laisse après lui un sentier lumineux; L’abîme prend la chevelure d’un vieillard.
After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
33 Sur la terre nul n’est son maître; Il a été créé pour ne rien craindre.
On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
34 Il regarde avec dédain 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.
