1 ( 40: 20) Prendras-tu le crocodile à l'hameçon? Saisiras-tu sa langue avec une corde?

“Can you pull the crocodile out with a fish-hook? Can you tie his tongue down with a rope?

2 ( 40: 21) Mettras-tu un jonc dans ses narines? Lui perceras-tu la mâchoire avec un crochet?

Can you put a rope in his nose, or put a hook through his jaw?

3 ( 40: 22) Te pressera-t-il de supplication? Te parlera-t-il d'une voix douce?

Will he beg you to be good to him? Will he speak soft words to you?

4 ( 40: 23) Fera-t-il une alliance avec toi, Pour devenir à toujours ton esclave?

Will he make an agreement with you to take him and make him your servant forever?

5 ( 40: 24) Joueras-tu avec lui comme avec un oiseau? L'attacheras-tu pour amuser tes jeunes filles?

Will you play with him as if he were a bird? Or will you put him on a rope for your young women?

6 ( 40: 25) Les pêcheurs en trafiquent-ils? Le partagent-ils entre les marchands?

Will traders talk about buying and selling him? Will they divide him among the store-keepers?

7 ( 40: 26) Couvriras-tu sa peau de dards, Et sa tête de harpons?

Can you fill his skin or his head with fish spears?

8 ( 40: 27) Dresse ta main contre lui, Et tu ne t'aviseras plus de l'attaquer.

Lay your hand on him, and remember the battle. You will not do it again!

9 ( 40: 28) Voici, on est trompé dans son attente; A son seul aspect n'est-on pas terrassé?

See, the hope of man is false. One is laid low even when seeing him.

10 ( 41: 1) Nul n'est assez hardi pour l'exciter; Qui donc me résisterait en face?

No one is so powerful that he would wake him. Who then can stand before Me?

11 ( 41: 2) De qui suis-je le débiteur? Je le paierai. Sous le ciel tout m'appartient.

Who has given Me everything, that I should pay him back? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.

12 ( 41: 3) Je veux encore parler de ses membres, Et de sa force, et de la beauté de sa structure.

“I will not keep quiet about his legs, or his powerful strength, or the good way he is made.

13 ( 41: 4) Qui soulèvera son vêtement? Qui pénétrera entre ses mâchoires?

Who can take off his outside clothing? Who can get through his hard skin?

14 ( 41: 5) Qui ouvrira les portes de sa gueule? Autour de ses dents habite la terreur.

Who can open the doors of his mouth? Around his teeth is much fear.

15 ( 41: 6) Ses magnifiques et puissants boucliers Sont unis ensemble comme par un sceau;

His hard covering is his pride. He is shut up as with a lock.

16 ( 41: 7) Ils se serrent l'un contre l'autre, Et l'air ne passerait pas entre eux;

One piece of his hard skin is so close to another that no air can come between them.

17 ( 41: 8) Ce sont des frères qui s'embrassent, Se saisissent, demeurent inséparables.

They are joined one to another. They hold on to each other and cannot be separated.

18 ( 41: 9) Ses éternuements font briller la lumière; Ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l'aurore.

His breath gives out light. And his eyes are like those of the first light of day.

19 ( 41: 10) Des flammes jaillissent de sa bouche, Des étincelles de feu s'en échappent.

Burning light goes out of his mouth. Fire comes out.

20 ( 41: 11) Une fumée sort de ses narines, Comme d'un vase qui bout, d'une chaudière ardente.

Smoke goes out of his nostrils, as from a boiling pot and burning grass.

21 ( 41: 12) Son souffle allume les charbons, Sa gueule lance la flamme.

His breath sets fire to coals. A fire goes out of his mouth.

22 ( 41: 13) La force a son cou pour demeure, Et l'effroi bondit au-devant de lui.

Strength is in his neck, and fear jumps in front of him.

23 ( 41: 14) Ses parties charnues tiennent ensemble, Fondues sur lui, inébranlables.

The folds of his flesh are joined together. They are set in place and cannot be moved.

24 ( 41: 15) Son coeur est dur comme la pierre, Dur comme la meule inférieure.

His heart is as hard as a stone, even as hard as a grinding-stone.

25 ( 41: 16) Quand il se lève, les plus vaillants ont peur, Et l'épouvante les fait fuir.

When he raises himself up, the powerful are afraid. They are troubled because of his noise.

26 ( 41: 17) C'est en vain qu'on l'attaque avec l'épée; La lance, le javelot, la cuirasse, ne servent à rien.

The sword that hits him cannot cut. And spears are of no use.

27 ( 41: 18) Il regarde le fer comme de la paille, L'airain comme du bois pourri.

He thinks of iron as straw, and brass as soft wood.

28 ( 41: 19) La flèche ne le met pas en fuite, Les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui du chaume.

The arrow cannot make him run away. Stones thrown at him are like dry grass to him.

29 ( 41: 20) Il ne voit dans la massue qu'un brin de paille, Il rit au sifflement des dards.

He thinks of heavy sticks as dry grass. He laughs at the noise of the spear.

30 ( 41: 21) Sous son ventre sont des pointes aiguës: On dirait une herse qu'il étend sur le limon.

The parts under him are like sharp pieces of a pot. He spreads out like a grain crusher on the mud.

31 ( 41: 22) Il fait bouillir le fond de la mer comme une chaudière, Il l'agite comme un vase rempli de parfums.

He makes the sea boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a jar of oil.

32 ( 41: 23) Il laisse après lui un sentier lumineux; L'abîme prend la chevelure d'un vieillard.

He makes his way shine behind him. One would think that the sea has white hair.

33 ( 41: 24) Sur la terre nul n'est son maître; Il a été créé pour ne rien craindre.

Nothing on earth is like him, one made without fear.

34 ( 41: 25) Il regarde avec dédain tout ce qui est élevé, Il est le roi des plus fiers animaux.

He looks on everything that is high. He is king over all that are proud.”