| 1 Je ne l'exciterai pas comme par cruauté. Car qui est-ce qui peut résister à mon visage ? | 1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? |
| 2 Qui m'a donné le premier, afin que je lui rende ? tout ce qui est sous le ciel est à moi. | 2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? |
| 3 Je ne l'épargnerai pas, malgré les paroles puissantes (ses discours arrogants) et les prières les plus touchantes (ses paroles suppliantes). | 3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? |
| 4 Qui soulèvera le dessus de son armure (vêtement), et qui entrera au milieu de sa gueule ? | 4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? |
| 5 Qui ouvrira l'entrée de ses mâchoires ? La terreur habite autour de ses dents. | 5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? |
| 6 Son corps est semblable à des boucliers d'airain fondu (jetés en fonte), et couvert d'écailles qui se pressent. | 6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? |
| 7 L'une est jointe à l'autre, et (pas même) le moindre souffle ne passe pas entre elles. | 7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed iron? or his head with fish spears? |
| 8 Elles adhèrent l'une à l'autre, et elles se tiennent sans se séparer jamais. | 8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. |
| 9 Son éternuement fait briller la lumière (l'éclat du feu), et ses yeux sont comme la paupière de l'aurore. | 9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? |
| 10 De sa gueule sortent des lampes, comme des torches ardentes (allumées). | 10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? |
| 11 Une fumée sort de ses narines comme d'une chaudière qui bout sur un brasier (pot mis au feu et bouillant). | 11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. |
| 12 Son haleine allume des charbons, et la flamme sort de sa gueule (bouche). | 12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. |
| 13 Sa force réside dans son cou, la famine marche devant lui. | 13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? |
| 14 Ses parties charnues tiennent ensemble ; la foudre tombera sur (Dieu lancera des foudres contre) lui sans qu'elles changent de place. | 14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. |
| 15 Son cœur est dur comme la pierre, et solide comme l'enclume du forgeron (de marteleur). | 15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. |
| 16 Lorsqu'il s'avance, les (des) anges craignent, et dans leur frayeur ils se purifient. | 16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. |
| 17 Le glaive qui voudrait le frapper ne résisterait pas, non plus que le dard et la cuirasse ; | 17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. |
| 18 car il méprise le fer comme de la paille, et l'airain comme du bois pourri. | 18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. |
| 19 L'archer ne le met pas en fuite ; les pierres de la fronde sont de la paille légère pour lui. | 19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. |
| 20 Il regarde la massue (le marteau) comme du chaume, et se rit du dard lancé (brandira la lance) contre lui. | 20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. |
| 21 Sous lui sont les rayons du soleil, et il s'étend sur l'or comme sur la boue. | 21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. |
| 22 Il fait bouillir le fond de la mer comme une chaudière (un pot), et il la rend semblable à un vase de parfums (des essences) en ébullition. | 22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. |
| 23 (Un sentier répandra) La lumière brille derrière lui ; on croirait que l'abîme a la chevelure d'un vieillard. | 23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. |
| 24 Il n'y a pas de puissance sur la terre qui puisse lui être comparée, car il a été créé pour ne rien craindre (personne). | 24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. |
| 25 Il voit avec dédain tout ce qui est élevé (au-dessous de lui) ; c'est lui qui est le roi de tous les fils de l'orgueil. | 25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. |
| 26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. |
| 27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. |
| 28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. |
| 29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. |
| 30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. |
| 31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. |
| 32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. |
| 33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. |
| 34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. |
