UJobe 41
1 Ungamhudula yini uLeviyathani ngengwegwe, kumbe ulimi lwakhe ngentambo oyenza itshone?
Can you pull out Leviathan with a hook? Can you tie its mouth shut?
2 Ungafaka yini umhlanga ekhaleni lakhe, kumbe ubhoboze umhlathi wakhe ngameva?
Can you thread a rope through its nose? Can you pass a hook through its jaw?
3 Uzakuncenga kanengi yini? Uzakhuluma lawe ngathambileyo yini?
Will it beg you to let it go? Or will it talk softly to you?
4 Uzakwenza isivumelwano lawe yini? Uzamthatha abe yinceku kokuphela yini?
Will it make a contract with you? Will it agree to be your slave forever?
5 Uzadlala laye yini njengenyoni? Kumbe uzambophela amantombazana akho yini?
Will you play with it like a pet bird? Will you put it on a leash for your girls?
6 Abathengi bazathengiselana ngaye yini? Bazakwehlukaniselana ngaye yini phakathi kwabathengisayo?
Will your trading partners decide on a price for him, and divide him up among the merchants?
7 Uzagcwalisa yini isikhumba sakhe ngezinhlendla, lekhanda lakhe ngemikhonto yenhlanzi?
Can you pierce his skin with many harpoons, its head with fishing spears?
8 Beka isandla sakho phezu kwakhe, khumbula impi, ungakwenzi futhi.
If you were to grab hold of it, imagine the battle you would have! You wouldn't do that again!
9 Khangela, ithemba lakhe lizakuba ngamanga. Laye uzaphoselwa phansi yini ngokumbona?
Any hope to capture it is foolish. Anyone who tries is thrown to the ground.
10 Kakho olesihluku sokuthi amvuse. Ngubani-ke yena ongazimisa phambi kwami?
Since no one has the courage to provoke Leviathan, who would dare to stand up against me?
11 Ngubani onganduleleyo ukuthi ngimbhadale? Okungaphansi kwamazulu wonke ngokwami.
Who has confronted me with any claim that I should repay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
12 Kangiyikuthula mayelana lezitho zakhe, lendaba yamandla akhe, lobuhle besimo sakhe.
Let me tell you about Leviathan: its powerful legs and graceful proportions.
13 Ngubani ongabonakalisa ubuso besembatho sakhe? Ngubani ongeza lamatomu akhe aphindwe kabili?
Who can remove its hide? Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?
14 Ngubani ongavula iminyango yobuso bakhe? Amazinyo akhe ayesabeka inhlangothi zonke.
Who can open its jaws? Its teeth are terrifying!
15 Imizila yamahawu akhe ilokuziqhenya, ivalelwe ngophawu oluqinisiweyo.
Its pride is its rows of scales, closed tightly together.
16 Elinye lisondele kwelinye, ukuze kungangeni umoya phakathi kwawo.
Its scales are so close together that no air can pass between them.
17 Ahlangene, abambana, ukuze angehlukaniswa.
Each scale attaches to the next; they lock together and nothing can penetrate them.
18 Ukuthimula kwakhe kuphazima ukukhanya, lamehlo akhe anjengenkophe zemadabukakusa.
When it sneezes light shines out. Its eyes are like the rising sun.
19 Emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma izihlanti, ziqhatshe ziphume inhlansi zomlilo.
Flames pour from its mouth, sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Emakhaleni akhe kuphuma intuthu, njengembiza ebilayo lemihlanga.
Smoke comes from its nostrils, like steam from a kettle on a fire made of reeds.
21 Umoya wakhe uvuthela amalahle, lelangabi liphume emlonyeni wakhe.
Its breath sets fire to charcoal as flames shoot from its mouth.
22 Entanyeni yakhe kuhlala amandla, laphambi kwakhe kugiya usizi.
Its neck is powerful, and all who face him shake with terror.
23 Amavinqo enyama yakhe anamathelene, aqinile kuye, kawanyikinyeki.
Its body is dense and solid, as if it is made from cast metal.
24 Inhliziyo yakhe iqinile njengelitshe, yebo, ilukhuni njengelitshe lokuchola elingaphansi.
Its heart is rock-hard, like a millstone.
25 Ekuvukeni kwakhe amaqhawe ayesaba, ngenxa yokwephulwa bayazihlambulula.
When it rises, even the powerful are terrified; they retreat as it thrashes about.
26 Ofinyelela kuye ngenkemba angeme, umkhonto, umtshoko, lomdikadika.
Swords just bounce off it, as do spears, darts, and javelins.
27 Uthatha insimbi njengotshani, ithusi njengogodo olubolileyo.
It brushes aside iron like straw, and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Umtshoko kawumenzi abaleke; amatshe esavutha aphendulwa nguye abe yizibi.
Arrows cannot make it run away; stones from slingshots are like pieces of stubble.
29 Isagila sitshaywa njengezibi; uhleka ukugenqeza komdikadika.
Clubs are also treated like stubble; it laughs at the sound made by flying spears.
30 Ngaphansi kwakhe kulendengezi ezibukhali; wendlala izinto ezibukhali odakeni.
Its underparts are covered with points as sharp as broken pots; when it drags itself through the mud it leaves marks like a threshing sledge.
31 Wenza inziki zibile njengembiza, enze ulwandle lube njengembiza yamafutha.
It churns up the sea like water in a boiling pot, like a steaming bowl when ointment is mixed.
32 Ngemva kwakhe wenza indlela ikhanye; inziki zingathiwa ziyimpunga.
It leaves a glistening wake behind it as if the sea had white hair.
33 Kakukho emhlabeni okufanana laye, owenziwa angabi lokwesaba.
There is nothing on earth like it: a creature that has no fear.
34 Ukhangela konke okuphakemeyo; uyinkosi phezu kwabo bonke abantwana bokuzigqaja.
It looks down on all other creatures. It is the proudest of all.”
