איוב 41

1 תִּמְשֹׁךְ לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה וּבְחֶבֶל תַּשְׁקִיעַ לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃

“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?

2 הֲתָשִׂים אַגְמֹן בְּאַפּוֹ וּבְחוֹחַ תִּקֹּב לֶחֱיֽוֹ׃

Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?

3 הֲיַרְבֶּה אֵלֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִים אִם־יְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ רַכּֽוֹת׃

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 הֲיִכְרֹת בְּרִית עִמָּךְ תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לְעֶבֶד עוֹלָֽם׃

Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?

5 הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־בּוֹ כַּצִּפּוֹר וְתִקְשְׁרֶנּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

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 יִכְרוּ עָלָיו חַבָּרִים יֶחֱצוּהוּ בֵּין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃

Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?

7 הַֽתְמַלֵּא בְשֻׂכּוֹת עוֹרוֹ וּבְצִלְצַל דָּגִים רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃

Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?

8 שִׂים־עָלָיו כַּפֶּךָ זְכֹר מִלְחָמָה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף׃

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 הֵן־תֹּחַלְתּוֹ נִכְזָבָה הֲגַם אֶל־מַרְאָיו יֻטָֽל׃

It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.

10 לֹֽא־אַכְזָר כִּי יְעוּרֶנּוּ וּמִי הוּא לְפָנַי יִתְיַצָּֽב׃

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 מִי הִקְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּם תַּחַת כׇּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם לִי־הֽוּא׃

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 (לא) [לוֹ־]אַחֲרִישׁ בַּדָּיו וּדְבַר־גְּבוּרוֹת וְחִין עֶרְכּֽוֹ׃

I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.

13 מִֽי־גִלָּה פְּנֵי לְבוּשׁוֹ בְּכֶפֶל רִסְנוֹ מִי יָבֽוֹא׃

(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 דַּלְתֵי פָנָיו מִי פִתֵּחַ סְבִיבוֹת שִׁנָּיו אֵימָֽה׃

(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 גַּאֲוָה אֲפִיקֵי מָגִנִּים סָגוּר חוֹתָם צָֽר׃

They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).

16 אֶחָד בְּאֶחָד יִגַּשׁוּ וְרוּחַ לֹא־יָבֹא בֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.

17 אִישׁ־בְּאָחִיהוּ יְדֻבָּקוּ יִתְלַכְּדוּ וְלֹא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃

The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.

18 עֲטִישֹׁתָיו תָּהֶל אוֹר וְעֵינָיו כְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃

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 מִפִּיו לַפִּידִים יַהֲלֹכוּ כִּידוֹדֵי אֵשׁ יִתְמַלָּֽטוּ׃

[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].

20 מִנְּחִירָיו יֵצֵא עָשָׁן כְּדוּד נָפוּחַ וְאַגְמֹֽן׃

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 נַפְשׁוֹ גֶּחָלִים תְּלַהֵט וְלַהַב מִפִּיו יֵצֵֽא׃

Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.

22 בְּֽצַוָּארוֹ יָלִין עֹז וּלְפָנָיו תָּדוּץ דְּאָבָֽה׃

Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.

23 מַפְּלֵי בְשָׂרוֹ דָבֵקוּ יָצוּק עָלָיו בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃

The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.

24 לִבּוֹ יָצוּק כְּמוֹ־אָבֶן וְיָצוּק כְּפֶלַח תַּחְתִּֽית׃

[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 מִשֵּׂתוֹ יָגוּרוּ אֵלִים מִשְּׁבָרִים יִתְחַטָּֽאוּ׃

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 מַשִּׂיגֵהוּ חֶרֶב בְּלִי תָקוּם חֲנִית מַסָּע וְשִׁרְיָֽה׃

[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.

27 יַחְשֹׁב לְתֶבֶן בַּרְזֶל לְעֵץ רִקָּבוֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃

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 לֹא־יַבְרִיחֶנּוּ בֶן־קָשֶׁת לְקַשׁ נֶהְפְּכוּ־לוֹ אַבְנֵי־קָֽלַע׃

[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 כְּקַשׁ נֶחְשְׁבוּ תוֹתָח וְיִשְׂחַק לְרַעַשׁ כִּידֽוֹן׃

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 תַּחְתָּיו חַדּוּדֵי חָרֶשׂ יִרְפַּד חָרוּץ עֲלֵי־טִֽיט׃

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 יַרְתִּיחַ כַּסִּיר מְצוּלָה יָם יָשִׂים כַּמֶּרְקָחָֽה׃

They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].

32 אַחֲרָיו יָאִיר נָתִיב יַחְשֹׁב תְּהוֹם לְשֵׂיבָֽה׃

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 אֵֽין־עַל־עָפָר מׇשְׁלוֹ הֶעָשׂוּ לִבְלִי־חָֽת׃

There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.

34 אֵֽת־כׇּל־גָּבֹהַּ יִרְאֶה הוּא מֶלֶךְ עַל־כׇּל־בְּנֵי־שָֽׁחַץ׃

They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”