Job 41
1 But will you catch the serpent with a hook, and put a halter about his nose?
Tu tireras le Léviathan avec un hameçon? et tu serreras sa langue avec une corde?
2 Or will you fasten a ring in his nostril, and bore his lip with a clasp?
Mettras-tu un jonc dans ses narines, perceras-tu sa joue avec un crochet?
3 Will he address you with a petition? softly, with the voice of a suppliant?
T'adressera-t-il beaucoup de prières, et te dira-t-il de douces paroles?
4 And will he make a covenant with you? and will you take him for a perpetual servant?
Fera-t-il un accord avec toi, et le prendras-tu pour esclave à toujours?
5 And will you play with him as with a bird? or bind him as a sparrow for a child?
En joueras-tu comme d'un oiseau, et l'attacheras-tu pour amuser tes filles?
6 And do the nations feed upon him, and the nations of the Phoenicians share him?
Les associés en feront-ils commerce, le partageront-ils entre des marchands?
7 And all the ships come together would not be able to bear the mere skin of his tail; neither [shall they carry] his head in fishing vessels.
Perceras-tu sa peau d'un dard, et sa tête d'un harpon?
8 But you shall lay your hand upon him [once], remembering the war that is waged by his mouth; and let it not be done any more.
Mets ta main sur lui: tu te souviendras de la bataille, et tu n'y reviendras pas.
9 Hast you not seen him? and have you not wondered at the things said [of him]?
Voici, tout espoir de le prendre est trompé; à son seul aspect on est jeté à terre!
10 Do you not fear because preparation has been made by me? for who is there that resists me?
Il n'y a point d'homme si hardi qui l'ose réveiller; et qui se tiendra debout devant moi?
11 Or who will resist me, and abide, since the whole [world] under heaven is mine?
Qui m'a fait des avances, et je lui rendrai? Tout ce qui est sous les cieux est à moi.
12 I will not be silent because of him: though because of his power [one] shall pity his antagonist.
Je ne me tairai pas sur ses membres, sur ses forces, et sur la beauté de sa stature.
13 Who will open the face of his garment? and who can enter within the fold of his breastplate?
Qui a soulevé le dessus de son vêtement? Qui est entré dans sa double mâchoire?
14 Who will open the doors of his face? terror is round about his teeth.
Qui a ouvert les portes de sa gueule? La terreur est autour de ses dents.
15 His inwards are as brazen plates, and the texture of his [skin] as a smyrite stone.
Ses puissants boucliers sont superbes; ils sont fermés, étroitement scellés.
16 One [part] cleaves fast to another, and the air can’t come between them.
Ils se touchent l'un l'autre, le vent ne passe point entre eux.
17 They will remain united each to the other: they are closely joined, and can’t be separated.
Ils sont adhérents l'un à l'autre; ils se tiennent, ils ne se séparent point.
18 At his sneezing a light shines, and his eyes are [as] the appearance of the morning star.
Ses éternuements jettent un éclat de lumière, et ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l'aurore.
19 Out of his mouth proceed as it were burning lamps, and as it were hearths of fire are cast abroad.
De sa bouche sortent des lueurs, et s'échappent des étincelles de feu.
20 Out of his nostrils proceeds smoke of a furnace burning with fire of coals.
De ses narines sort une fumée, comme d'un vase qui bout ou d'une chaudière.
21 His breath is [as] live coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
Son souffle enflammerait des charbons, et une flamme sort de sa gueule.
22 And power is lodged in his neck, before him destruction runs.
Dans son cou réside la force, et la terreur marche devant lui.
23 The flesh also of his body is joined together: [if one] pours [violence] upon him, he shall not be moved.
Les fanons de sa chair sont adhérents; ils sont massifs, inébranlables.
24 His heart is firm as a stone, and it stands like an unyielding anvil.
Son cœur est massif comme une pierre, massif comme la meule de dessous.
25 And when he turns, [he is] a terror to the four-footed wild beasts which leap upon the earth.
Quand il se lève, les plus forts tremblent, ils défaillent d'effroi.
26 If spears should come against him, [men] will effect nothing, [either with] the spear or the breast-plate.
Quand on l'approche, l'épée ne sert à rien, ni la lance, ni le dard, ni la cuirasse.
27 For he considers iron as chaff, and brass as rotten wood.
Il regarde le fer comme de la paille, et l'airain comme du bois pourri.
28 The bow of brass shall not would him, he deems a slinger as grass.
La flèche ne le fait pas fuir, les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui comme du chaume;
29 Mauls are counted as stubble; and he laughs to scorn the waving of the firebrand.
Comme du chaume, la massue; il se rit du frémissement des javelots.
30 His lair is [formed of] sharp points; and all the gold of the sea under him is an immense [quantity of] clay.
Son ventre a des tessons pointus: il étend une herse sur le limon.
31 He makes the deep boil like a brazen cauldron; and he regards the sea as a pot of ointment,
Il fait bouillonner le gouffre comme une chaudière, il rend la mer semblable à un vase de parfumeur.
32 and the lowest part of the deep as a captive: he reckons the deep as [his] range.
Il laisse après lui une trace brillante, on dirait sur l'abîme une blanche chevelure.
33 There is nothing upon the earth like to him, formed to be sported with by my angels.
Il n'a pas son pareil sur la terre; il a été fait pour ne rien craindre.
34 He beholds every high thing: and he is king of all that are in the waters.
Il regarde tout ce qui est élevé; il est roi des plus fiers animaux.
