Job 41
1 Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth?
But will you catch the serpent with a hook, and put a halter about his nose?
2 Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
Or will you fasten a ring in his nostril, and bore his lip with a clasp?
3 Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
Will he address you with a petition? softly, with the voice of a suppliant?
4 Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?
And will he make a covenant with you? and will you take him for a perpetual servant?
5 Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
And will you play with him as with a bird? or bind him as a sparrow for a child?
6 Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
And do the nations feed upon him, and the nations of the Phoenicians share him?
7 Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
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.
8 Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
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.
9 Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
Hast you not seen him? and have you not wondered at the things said [of him]?
10 He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me?
Do you not fear because preparation has been made by me? for who is there that resists me?
11 Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
Or who will resist me, and abide, since the whole [world] under heaven is mine?
12 I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame.
I will not be silent because of him: though because of his power [one] shall pity his antagonist.
13 Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
Who will open the face of his garment? and who can enter within the fold of his breastplate?
14 Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
Who will open the doors of his face? terror is round about his teeth.
15 His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
His inwards are as brazen plates, and the texture of his [skin] as a smyrite stone.
16 One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
One [part] cleaves fast to another, and the air can’t come between them.
17 They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
They will remain united each to the other: they are closely joined, and can’t be separated.
18 His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
At his sneezing a light shines, and his eyes are [as] the appearance of the morning star.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
Out of his mouth proceed as it were burning lamps, and as it were hearths of fire are cast abroad.
20 Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
Out of his nostrils proceeds smoke of a furnace burning with fire of coals.
21 His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
His breath is [as] live coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
And power is lodged in his neck, before him destruction runs.
23 The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.
The flesh also of his body is joined together: [if one] pours [violence] upon him, he shall not be moved.
24 His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
His heart is firm as a stone, and it stands like an unyielding anvil.
25 When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
And when he turns, [he is] a terror to the four-footed wild beasts which leap upon the earth.
26 The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron.
If spears should come against him, [men] will effect nothing, [either with] the spear or the breast-plate.
27 Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
For he considers iron as chaff, and brass as rotten wood.
28 The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems.
The bow of brass shall not would him, he deems a slinger as grass.
29 A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
Mauls are counted as stubble; and he laughs to scorn the waving of the firebrand.
30 Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
His lair is [formed of] sharp points; and all the gold of the sea under him is an immense [quantity of] clay.
31 The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
He makes the deep boil like a brazen cauldron; and he regards the sea as a pot of ointment,
32 After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
and the lowest part of the deep as a captive: he reckons the deep as [his] range.
33 On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
There is nothing upon the earth like to him, formed to be sported with by my angels.
34 Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
He beholds every high thing: and he is king of all that are in the waters.
