אִיּוֹב 41

1 תִּמְשֹׁ֣ךְ לִוְיָתָ֣ן בְּחַכָּ֑ה וּ֝בְחֶ֗בֶל תַּשְׁקִ֥יעַ לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃

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

2 הֲתָשִׂ֣ים אַגְמ֣וֹן בְּאַפּ֑וֹ וּ֝בְח֗וֹחַ תִּקּ֥וֹב לֶֽחֱיוֹ׃

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

3 הֲיַרְבֶּ֣ה אֵ֭לֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִ֑ים אִם־יְדַבֵּ֖ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ 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 הֲיִכְרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֣ית עִמָּ֑ךְ תִּ֝קָּחֶ֗נּוּ לְעֶ֣בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃

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

5 הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־בּ֭וֹ כַּצִּפּ֑וֹר וְ֝תִקְשְׁרֶ֗נּוּ 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 יִכְר֣וּ עָ֭לָיו חַבָּרִ֑ים יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ בֵּ֣ין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃

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

7 הַֽתְמַלֵּ֣א בְשֻׂכּ֣וֹת עוֹר֑וֹ וּבְצִלְצַ֖ל דָּגִ֣ים רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃

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

8 שִׂים־עָלָ֥יו כַּפֶּ֑ךָ זְכֹ֥ר מִ֝לְחָמָ֗ה 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־תֹּחַלְתּ֥וֹ נִכְזָ֑בָה הֲגַ֖ם אֶל־מַרְאָ֣יו יֻטָֽל׃

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

10 לֹֽא־אַ֭כְזָר כִּ֣י יְעוּרֶ֑נּוּ וּמִ֥י ה֝֗וּא לְפָנַ֥י 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 מִ֣י הִ֭קְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם 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 ־אַחֲרִ֥ישׁ בַּדָּ֑יו וּדְבַר־גְּ֝בוּר֗וֹת וְחִ֣ין עֶרְכּֽוֹ׃

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

13 מִֽי־גִ֭לָּה פְּנֵ֣י לְבוּשׁ֑וֹ בְּכֶ֥פֶל רִ֝סְנ֗וֹ מִ֣י 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 דַּלְתֵ֣י פָ֭נָיו מִ֣י פִתֵּ֑חַ סְבִיב֖וֹת שִׁנָּ֣יו 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 גַּ֭אֲוָה אֲפִיקֵ֣י מָֽגִנִּ֑ים סָ֝ג֗וּר חוֹתָ֥ם צָֽר׃

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

16 אֶחָ֣ד בְּאֶחָ֣ד יִגַּ֑שׁוּ וְ֝ר֗וּחַ לֹא־יָב֥וֹא בֵֽינֵיהֶֽם׃

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

17 אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֥יהוּ יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ יִ֝תְלַכְּד֗וּ וְלֹ֣א יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃

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

18 עֲֽ֭טִישֹׁתָיו תָּ֣הֶל א֑וֹר וְ֝עֵינָ֗יו 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 מִ֭פִּיו לַפִּידִ֣ים יַהֲלֹ֑כוּ כִּיד֥וֹדֵי אֵ֝֗שׁ יִתְמַלָּֽטוּ׃

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

20 מִ֭נְּחִירָיו יֵצֵ֣א עָשָׁ֑ן כְּד֖וּד נָפ֣וּחַ 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 נַ֭פְשׁוֹ גֶּחָלִ֣ים תְּלַהֵ֑ט וְ֝לַ֗הַב מִפִּ֥יו יֵצֵֽא׃

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

22 בְּֽ֭צַוָּארוֹ יָלִ֣ין עֹ֑ז וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו תָּד֥וּץ דְּאָבָֽה׃

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

23 מַפְּלֵ֣י בְשָׂר֣וֹ דָבֵ֑קוּ יָצ֥וּק עָ֝לָ֗יו בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃

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

24 לִ֭בּוֹ יָצ֣וּק כְּמוֹ־אָ֑בֶן וְ֝יָצ֗וּק כְּפֶ֣לַח 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 מִ֭שֵּׂתוֹ יָג֣וּרוּ אֵלִ֑ים מִ֝שְּׁבָרִ֗ים 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 מַשִּׂיגֵ֣הוּ חֶ֭רֶב בְּלִ֣י תָק֑וּם חֲנִ֖ית מַסָּ֣ע וְשִׁרְיָֽה׃

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

27 יַחְשֹׁ֣ב לְתֶ֣בֶן בַּרְזֶ֑ל לְעֵ֖ץ רִקָּב֣וֹן 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 לֹֽא־יַבְרִיחֶ֥נּוּ בֶן־קָ֑שֶׁת לְ֝קַ֗שׁ נֶהְפְּכוּ־ל֥וֹ 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 כְּ֭קַשׁ נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ תוֹתָ֑ח וְ֝יִשְׂחַ֗ק לְרַ֣עַשׁ 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 תַּ֭חְתָּיו חַדּ֣וּדֵי חָ֑רֶשׂ יִרְפַּ֖ד חָר֣וּץ 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 יַרְתִּ֣יחַ כַּסִּ֣יר מְצוּלָ֑ה יָ֝֗ם יָשִׂ֥ים כַּמֶּרְקָחָֽה׃

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

32 אַ֭חֲרָיו יָאִ֣יר נָתִ֑יב יַחְשֹׁ֖ב תְּה֣וֹם 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־עָפָ֥ר מָשְׁל֑וֹ הֶ֝עָשׂ֗וּ לִבְלִי־חָֽת׃

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

34 אֵֽת־כָּל־גָּבֹ֥הַּ יִרְאֶ֑ה ה֝֗וּא מֶ֣לֶךְ עַל־כָּל־בְּנֵי־שָֽׁחַץ׃ ס

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