Job 41
1 Prendras-tu le crocodile à l’hameçon? Saisiras-tu sa langue avec une corde?
But will you catch the serpent with a hook, and put a halter about his nose?
2 Mettras-tu un jonc dans ses narines? Lui perceras-tu la mâchoire avec un crochet?
Or will you fasten a ring in his nostril, and bore his lip with a clasp?
3 Te pressera-t-il de supplication? Te parlera-t-il d’une voix douce?
Will he address you with a petition? softly, with the voice of a suppliant?
4 Fera-t-il une alliance avec toi, Pour devenir à toujours ton esclave?
And will he make a covenant with you? and will you take him for a perpetual servant?
5 Joueras-tu avec lui comme avec un oiseau? L’attacheras-tu pour amuser tes jeunes filles?
And will you play with him as with a bird? or bind him as a sparrow for a child?
6 Les pêcheurs en trafiquent-ils? Le partagent-ils entre les marchands?
And do the nations feed upon him, and the nations of the Phoenicians share him?
7 Couvriras-tu sa peau de dards, Et sa tête de harpons?
And all the ships come together would not be able to bear the mere skin of his tail; neither [shall they carry] his head in fishing vessels.
8 Dresse ta main contre lui, Et tu ne t’aviseras plus de l’attaquer.
But you shall lay your hand upon him [once], remembering the war that is waged by his mouth; and let it not be done any more.
9 Voici, on est trompé dans son attente; A son seul aspect n’est-on pas terrassé?
Hast you not seen him? and have you not wondered at the things said [of him]?
10 Nul n’est assez hardi pour l’exciter; Qui donc me résisterait en face?
Do you not fear because preparation has been made by me? for who is there that resists me?
11 De qui suis-je le débiteur? Je le paierai. Sous le ciel tout m’appartient.
Or who will resist me, and abide, since the whole [world] under heaven is mine?
12 Je veux encore parler de ses membres, Et de sa force, et de la beauté de sa structure.
I will not be silent because of him: though because of his power [one] shall pity his antagonist.
13 Qui soulèvera son vêtement? Qui pénétrera entre ses mâchoires?
Who will open the face of his garment? and who can enter within the fold of his breastplate?
14 Qui ouvrira les portes de sa gueule? Autour de ses dents habite la terreur.
Who will open the doors of his face? terror is round about his teeth.
15 Ses magnifiques et puissants boucliers Sont unis ensemble comme par un sceau;
His inwards are as brazen plates, and the texture of his [skin] as a smyrite stone.
16 Ils se serrent l’un contre l’autre, Et l’air ne passerait pas entre eux;
One [part] cleaves fast to another, and the air can’t come between them.
17 Ce sont des frères qui s’embrassent, Se saisissent, demeurent inséparables.
They will remain united each to the other: they are closely joined, and can’t be separated.
18 Ses éternuements font briller la lumière; Ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l’aurore.
At his sneezing a light shines, and his eyes are [as] the appearance of the morning star.
19 Des flammes jaillissent de sa bouche, Des étincelles de feu s’en échappent.
Out of his mouth proceed as it were burning lamps, and as it were hearths of fire are cast abroad.
20 Une fumée sort de ses narines, Comme d’un vase qui bout, d’une chaudière ardente.
Out of his nostrils proceeds smoke of a furnace burning with fire of coals.
21 Son souffle allume les charbons, Sa gueule lance la flamme.
His breath is [as] live 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.
And power is lodged in his neck, before him destruction runs.
23 Ses parties charnues tiennent ensemble, Fondues sur lui, inébranlables.
The flesh also of his body is joined together: [if one] pours [violence] upon him, he shall not be moved.
24 Son cœur est dur comme la pierre, Dur comme la meule inférieure.
His heart is firm as a stone, and it stands like an unyielding anvil.
25 Quand il se lève, les plus vaillants ont peur, Et l’épouvante les fait fuir.
And when he turns, [he is] a terror to the four-footed wild beasts which leap upon the earth.
26 C’est en vain qu’on l’attaque avec l’épée; La lance, le javelot, la cuirasse, ne servent à rien.
If spears should come against him, [men] will effect nothing, [either with] the spear or the breast-plate.
27 Il regarde le fer comme de la paille, L’airain comme du bois pourri.
For he considers iron as chaff, and brass as rotten wood.
28 La flèche ne le met pas en fuite, Les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui du chaume.
The bow of brass shall not would him, he deems a slinger as grass.
29 Il ne voit dans la massue qu’un brin de paille, Il rit au sifflement des dards.
Mauls are counted as stubble; and he laughs to scorn the waving of the firebrand.
30 Sous son ventre sont des pointes aiguës: On dirait une herse qu’il étend sur le limon.
His lair is [formed of] sharp points; and all the gold of the sea under him is an immense [quantity of] clay.
31 Il fait bouillir le fond de la mer comme une chaudière, Il l’agite comme un vase rempli de parfums.
He makes the deep boil like a brazen cauldron; and he regards the sea as a pot of ointment,
32 Il laisse après lui un sentier lumineux; L’abîme prend la chevelure d’un vieillard.
and the lowest part of the deep as a captive: he reckons the deep as [his] range.
33 Sur la terre nul n’est son maître; Il a été créé pour ne rien craindre.
There is nothing upon the earth like to him, formed to be sported with by my angels.
34 Il regarde avec dédain tout ce qui est élevé, Il est le roi des plus fiers animaux.
He beholds every high thing: and he is king of all that are in the waters.
