UJobe 41
1 Ungamhudula yini uLeviyathani ngengwegwe, kumbe ulimi lwakhe ngentambo oyenza itshone?
Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or tie up his jaws with a cord?
2 Ungafaka yini umhlanga ekhaleni lakhe, kumbe ubhoboze umhlathi wakhe ngameva?
Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Uzakuncenga kanengi yini? Uzakhuluma lawe ngathambileyo yini?
Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak soft words to you?
4 Uzakwenza isivumelwano lawe yini? Uzamthatha abe yinceku kokuphela yini?
Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
5 Uzadlala laye yini njengenyoni? Kumbe uzambophela amantombazana akho yini?
Will you play with him as you would with a bird? Will you tie him up for your servant girls?
6 Abathengi bazathengiselana ngaye yini? Bazakwehlukaniselana ngaye yini phakathi kwabathengisayo?
Will the groups of fishermen bargain for him? Will they divide him up to trade among the merchants?
7 Uzagcwalisa yini isikhumba sakhe ngezinhlendla, lekhanda lakhe ngemikhonto yenhlanzi?
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
8 Beka isandla sakho phezu kwakhe, khumbula impi, ungakwenzi futhi.
Put your hand on him just once, and you will remember the battle and do it no more.
9 Khangela, ithemba lakhe lizakuba ngamanga. Laye uzaphoselwa phansi yini ngokumbona?
See, the hope of anyone who does that is a lie; will not anyone be thrown down to the ground just by the sight of him?
10 Kakho olesihluku sokuthi amvuse. Ngubani-ke yena ongazimisa phambi kwami?
None is so fierce that he dare stir Leviathan up; who, then, is he who can stand before me?
11 Ngubani onganduleleyo ukuthi ngimbhadale? Okungaphansi kwamazulu wonke ngokwami.
Who has first given anything to me in order that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole sky is mine.
12 Kangiyikuthula mayelana lezitho zakhe, lendaba yamandla akhe, lobuhle besimo sakhe.
I will not keep silent concerning Leviathan's legs, nor about the matter of his strength, nor about his graceful form.
13 Ngubani ongabonakalisa ubuso besembatho sakhe? Ngubani ongeza lamatomu akhe aphindwe kabili?
Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can penetrate his double armor?
14 Ngubani ongavula iminyango yobuso bakhe? Amazinyo akhe ayesabeka inhlangothi zonke.
Who can open the doors of his face— ringed with his teeth, which are a terror?
15 Imizila yamahawu akhe ilokuziqhenya, ivalelwe ngophawu oluqinisiweyo.
his back is made up of rows of shields, tight together as with a close seal.
16 Elinye lisondele kwelinye, ukuze kungangeni umoya phakathi kwawo.
One is so near to another that no air can come between them.
17 Ahlangene, abambana, ukuze angehlukaniswa.
They are joined to each other; they stick together, so that they cannot be pulled apart.
18 Ukuthimula kwakhe kuphazima ukukhanya, lamehlo akhe anjengenkophe zemadabukakusa.
Light flashes out from his snorting; his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning dawn.
19 Emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma izihlanti, ziqhatshe ziphume inhlansi zomlilo.
Out of his mouth go burning torches, sparks of fire leap out.
20 Emakhaleni akhe kuphuma intuthu, njengembiza ebilayo lemihlanga.
Out of his nostrils goes smoke like a boiling pot on a fire that has been fanned to be very hot.
21 Umoya wakhe uvuthela amalahle, lelangabi liphume emlonyeni wakhe.
His breath kindles coals into flame; fires go out from his mouth.
22 Entanyeni yakhe kuhlala amandla, laphambi kwakhe kugiya usizi.
In his neck is strength, and terror dances in front of him.
23 Amavinqo enyama yakhe anamathelene, aqinile kuye, kawanyikinyeki.
The folds of his flesh are joined together; they are firm on him; they cannot be moved.
24 Inhliziyo yakhe iqinile njengelitshe, yebo, ilukhuni njengelitshe lokuchola elingaphansi.
His heart is as hard as a stone— indeed, as hard as a lower millstone.
25 Ekuvukeni kwakhe amaqhawe ayesaba, ngenxa yokwephulwa bayazihlambulula.
When he raises himself up, even the gods become afraid; because of fear, they draw back.
26 Ofinyelela kuye ngenkemba angeme, umkhonto, umtshoko, lomdikadika.
If a sword strikes him, it does nothing— and neither does a spear, an arrow, or any other pointed weapon.
27 Uthatha insimbi njengotshani, ithusi njengogodo olubolileyo.
He thinks of iron as if it were straw, and of bronze as if it were rotten wood.
28 Umtshoko kawumenzi abaleke; amatshe esavutha aphendulwa nguye abe yizibi.
An arrow cannot make him flee; to him sling stones become chaff.
29 Isagila sitshaywa njengezibi; uhleka ukugenqeza komdikadika.
Clubs are regarded as straw; he laughs at the whirring flight of a spear.
30 Ngaphansi kwakhe kulendengezi ezibukhali; wendlala izinto ezibukhali odakeni.
His lower parts are like sharp pieces of broken pottery; he leaves a spreading trail in the mud as if he were a threshing sledge.
31 Wenza inziki zibile njengembiza, enze ulwandle lube njengembiza yamafutha.
He makes the deep to foam up like a pot of boiling water; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 Ngemva kwakhe wenza indlela ikhanye; inziki zingathiwa ziyimpunga.
He makes a shining wake behind him; one would think the deep had gray hair.
33 Kakukho emhlabeni okufanana laye, owenziwa angabi lokwesaba.
On earth there is no equal to him, who has been made to live without fear.
34 Ukhangela konke okuphakemeyo; uyinkosi phezu kwabo bonke abantwana bokuzigqaja.
He sees everything that is proud; he is king over all the sons of pride.”
