UJobe 41
1 Ungamhudula yini uLeviyathani ngengwegwe, kumbe ulimi lwakhe ngentambo oyenza itshone?
“[Think also about] (crocodiles/great sea dragons). Can you catch them with a fishhook or fasten their jaws with a rope?
2 Ungafaka yini umhlanga ekhaleni lakhe, kumbe ubhoboze umhlathi wakhe ngameva?
Can you put ropes through their noses [to control them] or thrust hooks through their jaws?
3 Uzakuncenga kanengi yini? Uzakhuluma lawe ngathambileyo yini?
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 Uzakwenza isivumelwano lawe yini? Uzamthatha abe yinceku kokuphela yini?
Will they make an agreement with you to work for you, to be your slaves as long as they live?
5 Uzadlala laye yini njengenyoni? Kumbe uzambophela amantombazana akho yini?
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 Abathengi bazathengiselana ngaye yini? Bazakwehlukaniselana ngaye yini phakathi kwabathengisayo?
Will merchants try to buy them [in the market]? Will they cut them up into pieces and sell the meat?
7 Uzagcwalisa yini isikhumba sakhe ngezinhlendla, lekhanda lakhe ngemikhonto yenhlanzi?
Can you pierce their skins by throwing fishing spears at them? Can you pierce their heads with a harpoon?
8 Beka isandla sakho phezu kwakhe, khumbula impi, ungakwenzi futhi.
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 Khangela, ithemba lakhe lizakuba ngamanga. Laye uzaphoselwa phansi yini ngokumbona?
It is useless to try to subdue them. Anyone who tries to subdue one of them will lose his courage.
10 Kakho olesihluku sokuthi amvuse. Ngubani-ke yena ongazimisa phambi kwami?
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 Ngubani onganduleleyo ukuthi ngimbhadale? Okungaphansi kwamazulu wonke ngokwami.
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 Kangiyikuthula mayelana lezitho zakhe, lendaba yamandla akhe, lobuhle besimo sakhe.
I will tell you about [how strong] crocodiles' legs [are] and how strong their well-formed bodies are.
13 Ngubani ongabonakalisa ubuso besembatho sakhe? Ngubani ongeza lamatomu akhe aphindwe kabili?
(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 Ngubani ongavula iminyango yobuso bakhe? Amazinyo akhe ayesabeka inhlangothi zonke.
(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 Imizila yamahawu akhe ilokuziqhenya, ivalelwe ngophawu oluqinisiweyo.
They have rows of scales on their back which are as hard as a rock (OR, tightly fastened together).
16 Elinye lisondele kwelinye, ukuze kungangeni umoya phakathi kwawo.
The scales are very close together, with the result that not even air can get between them.
17 Ahlangene, abambana, ukuze angehlukaniswa.
The scales are joined very closely to each other, and they cannot be separated.
18 Ukuthimula kwakhe kuphazima ukukhanya, lamehlo akhe anjengenkophe zemadabukakusa.
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 Emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma izihlanti, ziqhatshe ziphume inhlansi zomlilo.
[It is as though] sparks of fire pour out of their mouths [DOU].
20 Emakhaleni akhe kuphuma intuthu, njengembiza ebilayo lemihlanga.
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 Umoya wakhe uvuthela amalahle, lelangabi liphume emlonyeni wakhe.
Their breath can cause coals to blaze, and flames shoot out from their mouths.
22 Entanyeni yakhe kuhlala amandla, laphambi kwakhe kugiya usizi.
Their necks are very strong; wherever they go, they cause people to be very afraid.
23 Amavinqo enyama yakhe anamathelene, aqinile kuye, kawanyikinyeki.
The folds in their flesh are very close together and are very hard/firm.
24 Inhliziyo yakhe iqinile njengelitshe, yebo, ilukhuni njengelitshe lokuchola elingaphansi.
[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 Ekuvukeni kwakhe amaqhawe ayesaba, ngenxa yokwephulwa bayazihlambulula.
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 Ofinyelela kuye ngenkemba angeme, umkhonto, umtshoko, lomdikadika.
[People] [PRS] cannot injure them with swords, and spears or darts or javelins cannot injure them, either.
27 Uthatha insimbi njengotshani, ithusi njengogodo olubolileyo.
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 Umtshoko kawumenzi abaleke; amatshe esavutha aphendulwa nguye abe yizibi.
[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 Isagila sitshaywa njengezibi; uhleka ukugenqeza komdikadika.
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 Ngaphansi kwakhe kulendengezi ezibukhali; wendlala izinto ezibukhali odakeni.
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 Wenza inziki zibile njengembiza, enze ulwandle lube njengembiza yamafutha.
They stir up the water and cause it to foam [as they churn/swim through it].
32 Ngemva kwakhe wenza indlela ikhanye; inziki zingathiwa ziyimpunga.
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 Kakukho emhlabeni okufanana laye, owenziwa angabi lokwesaba.
There are no creatures on earth that are as fearless as crocodiles.
34 Ukhangela konke okuphakemeyo; uyinkosi phezu kwabo bonke abantwana bokuzigqaja.
They are the proudest of all the creatures; [it is as though] they [rule like] kings over all the other wild animals.”
