Job 41
1 Prendras-tu le crocodile à l’hameçon? Saisiras-tu sa langue avec une corde?
"Can you draw out Deinosuchus with a fishhook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Mettras-tu un jonc dans ses narines? Lui perceras-tu la mâchoire avec un crochet?
Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Te pressera-t-il de supplication? Te parlera-t-il d’une voix douce?
Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
4 Fera-t-il une alliance avec toi, Pour devenir à toujours ton esclave?
Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
5 Joueras-tu avec lui comme avec un oiseau? L’attacheras-tu pour amuser tes jeunes filles?
Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
6 Les pêcheurs en trafiquent-ils? Le partagent-ils entre les marchands?
Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?
7 Couvriras-tu sa peau de dards, Et sa tête de harpons?
Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?
8 Dresse ta main contre lui, Et tu ne t’aviseras plus de l’attaquer.
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle, and you will never do it again.
9 Voici, on est trompé dans son attente; A son seul aspect n’est-on pas terrassé?
Look, the hope of him is in vain. Won't one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 Nul n’est assez hardi pour l’exciter; Qui donc me résisterait en face?
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 De qui suis-je le débiteur? Je le paierai. Sous le ciel tout m’appartient.
Who has confronted me, that I should repay? Everything under the heavens is mine.
12 Je veux encore parler de ses membres, Et de sa force, et de la beauté de sa structure.
"I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Qui soulèvera son vêtement? Qui pénétrera entre ses mâchoires?
Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?
14 Qui ouvrira les portes de sa gueule? Autour de ses dents habite la terreur.
Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
15 Ses magnifiques et puissants boucliers Sont unis ensemble comme par un sceau;
Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.
16 Ils se serrent l’un contre l’autre, Et l’air ne passerait pas entre eux;
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17 Ce sont des frères qui s’embrassent, Se saisissent, demeurent inséparables.
They are joined one to another. They stick together, so that they can't be pulled apart.
18 Ses éternuements font briller la lumière; Ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l’aurore.
His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Des flammes jaillissent de sa bouche, Des étincelles de feu s’en échappent.
Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Une fumée sort de ses narines, Comme d’un vase qui bout, d’une chaudière ardente.
Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
21 Son souffle allume les charbons, Sa gueule lance la flamme.
His breath kindles coals. A flame goes forth from his mouth.
22 La force a son cou pour demeure, Et l’effroi bondit au-devant de lui.
There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.
23 Ses parties charnues tiennent ensemble, Fondues sur lui, inébranlables.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can't be moved.
24 Son cœur est dur comme la pierre, Dur comme la meule inférieure.
His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
25 Quand il se lève, les plus vaillants ont peur, Et l’épouvante les fait fuir.
When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
26 C’est en vain qu’on l’attaque avec l’épée; La lance, le javelot, la cuirasse, ne servent à rien.
If one attacks him with the sword, it can't prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27 Il regarde le fer comme de la paille, L’airain comme du bois pourri.
He counts iron as straw; and bronze as rotten wood.
28 La flèche ne le met pas en fuite, Les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui du chaume.
The arrow can't make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
29 Il ne voit dans la massue qu’un brin de paille, Il rit au sifflement des dards.
Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
30 Sous son ventre sont des pointes aiguës: On dirait une herse qu’il étend sur le limon.
His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
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 to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 Il laisse après lui un sentier lumineux; L’abîme prend la chevelure d’un vieillard.
He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.
33 Sur la terre nul n’est son maître; Il a été créé pour ne rien craindre.
On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.
34 Il regarde avec dédain tout ce qui est élevé, Il est le roi des plus fiers animaux.
He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride."
