Job 41
1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?
Whether thou schalt mowe drawe out leuyathan with an hook, and schalt bynde with a roop his tunge?
2 Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
Whethir thou schalt putte a ryng in hise nosethirlis, ethir schalt perse hyse cheke with `an hook?
3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee?
Whether he schal multiplie preieris to thee, ether schal speke softe thingis to thee?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?
Whether he schal make couenaunt with thee, and `thou schalt take him a seruaunt euerlastinge?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Whether thou schalt scorne hym as a brid, ethir schalt bynde hym to thin handmaidis?
6 Will the bands [of fishermen] make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants?
Schulen frendis `kerue hym, schulen marchauntis departe hym?
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?
Whether thou schalt fille nettis with his skyn, and a `leep of fischis with his heed?
8 Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.
Schalt thou putte thin hond on hym? haue thou mynde of the batel, and adde no more to speke.
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
Lo! his hope schal disseyue hym; and in the siyt of alle men he schal be cast doun.
10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me?
I not as cruel schal reise hym; for who may ayenstonde my face?
11 Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine.
And who `yaf to me bifore, that Y yelde to hym? Alle thingis, that ben vndur heuene, ben myne.
12 I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
Y schal not spare hym for myyti wordis, and maad faire to biseche.
13 Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?
Who schal schewe the face of his clothing, and who schal entre in to the myddis of his mouth?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
Who schal opene the yatis of his cheer? ferdfulnesse is bi the cumpas of hise teeth.
15 [His] strong scales are [his] pride, Shut up together [as with] a close seal.
His bodi is as yotun scheldys of bras, and ioyned togidere with scalis ouerleiynge hem silf.
16 One is so near to another, That no air can come between them.
Oon is ioyned to another; and sotheli brething goith not thorouy tho.
17 They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered.
Oon schal cleue to anothir, and tho holdynge hem silf schulen not be departid.
18 His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
His fnesynge is as schynynge of fier, and hise iyen ben as iyelidis of the morewtid.
19 Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth.
Laumpis comen forth of his mouth, as trees of fier, that ben kyndlid.
20 Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, As of a boiling pot and [burning] rushes.
Smoke cometh forth of hise nosethirlis, as of a pot set on the fier `and boilynge.
21 His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.
His breeth makith colis to brenne, and flawme goith out of his mouth.
22 In his neck abideth strength, And terror danceth before him.
Strengthe schal dwelle in his necke, and nedynesse schal go bifor his face.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved.
The membris of hise fleischis ben cleuynge togidere to hem silf; God schal sende floodis ayens hym, and tho schulen not be borun to an other place.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone.
His herte schal be maad hard as a stoon; and it schal be streyned togidere as the anefeld of a smith.
25 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.
Whanne he schal be takun awei, aungels schulen drede; and thei aferd schulen be purgid.
26 If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
Whanne swerd takith hym, it may not stonde, nethir spere, nether haburioun.
27 He counteth iron as straw, [And] brass as rotten wood.
For he schal arette irun as chaffis, and bras as rotun tre.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble.
A man archere schal not dryue hym awei; stoonys of a slynge ben turned in to stobil to hym.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.
He schal arette an hamer as stobil; and he schal scorne a florischynge spere.
30 His underparts are [like] sharp potsherds: He spreadeth [as it were] a threshing-wain upon the mire.
The beemys of the sunne schulen be vndur hym; and he schal strewe to hym silf gold as cley.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
He schal make the depe se to buyle as a pot; and he schal putte, as whanne oynementis buylen.
32 He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary.
A path schal schyne aftir hym; he schal gesse the greet occian as wexynge eld.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, That is made without fear.
No power is on erthe, that schal be comparisound to hym; which is maad, that he schulde drede noon.
34 He beholdeth everything that is high: He is king over all the sons of pride.
He seeth al hiy thing; he is kyng ouer alle the sones of pride.
