KJV ¹ Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

NEG ¹ Nul n'est assez hardi pour l'exciter; Qui donc me résisterait en face?

KJV ² Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

NEG ² De qui suis-je le débiteur? Je le paierai. Sous le ciel tout m'appartient.

KJV ³ Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

NEG ³ Je veux encore parler de ses membres, Et de sa force, et de la beauté de sa structure.

KJV ⁴ Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

NEG ⁴ Qui soulèvera son vêtement? Qui pénétrera entre ses mâchoires?

KJV ⁵ Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

NEG ⁵ Qui ouvrira les portes de sa gueule? Autour de ses dents habite la terreur.

KJV ⁶ Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?

NEG ⁶ Ses magnifiques et puissants boucliers  Sont unis ensemble comme par un sceau;

KJV ⁷ Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?

NEG ⁷ Ils se serrent l'un contre l'autre, Et l'air ne passerait pas entre eux;

KJV ⁸ Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

NEG ⁸ Ce sont des frères qui s'embrassent, Se saisissent, demeurent inséparables.

KJV ⁹ Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

NEG ⁹ Ses éternuements font briller la lumière; Ses yeux sont comme les paupières de l'aurore.

KJV ¹⁰ None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

NEG ¹⁰ Des flammes jaillissent de sa bouche, Des étincelles de feu s'en échappent.

KJV ¹¹ Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

NEG ¹¹ Une fumée sort de ses narines, Comme d'un vase qui bout, d'une chaudière ardente.

KJV ¹² I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

NEG ¹² Son souffle allume les charbons, Sa gueule lance la flamme.

KJV ¹³ Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

NEG ¹³ La force a son cou pour demeure, Et l'effroi bondit au-devant de lui.

KJV ¹⁴ Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

NEG ¹⁴ Ses parties charnues tiennent ensemble, Fondues sur lui, inébranlables.

KJV ¹⁵ His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

NEG ¹⁵ Son cœur est dur comme la pierre, Dur comme la meule inférieure.

KJV ¹⁶ One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

NEG ¹⁶ Quand il se lève, les plus vaillants ont peur, Et l'épouvante les fait fuir.

KJV ¹⁷ They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

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

KJV ¹⁸ By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

NEG ¹⁸ Il regarde le fer comme de la paille, L'airain comme du bois pourri.

KJV ¹⁹ Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

NEG ¹⁹ La flèche ne le met pas en fuite, Les pierres de la fronde sont pour lui du chaume.

KJV ²⁰ Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

NEG ²⁰ Il ne voit dans la massue qu'un brin de paille, Il rit au sifflement des dards.

KJV ²¹ His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

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

KJV ²² In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

NEG ²² Il fait bouillir le fond de la mer comme une chaudière, Il l'agite comme un vase rempli de parfum.

KJV ²³ The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

NEG ²³ Il laisse après lui un sentier lumineux; L'abîme prend l'aspect de la chevelure d'un vieillard.

KJV ²⁴ His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

NEG ²⁴ Sur la terre nul n'est son maître; Il a été créé pour ne rien craindre.

KJV ²⁵ When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.

NEG ²⁵ Il regarde avec dédain tout ce qui est élevé, Il est le roi des plus fiers animaux.

KJV ²⁶ The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

KJV ²⁷ He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

KJV ²⁸ The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

KJV ²⁹ Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

KJV ³⁰ Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

KJV ³¹ He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

KJV ³² He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

KJV ³³ Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

KJV ³⁴ He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.