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?
Canst thou draw out the leviathan with a hook, or canst thou tie his tongue with a cord?
2 Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
Canst thou put a ring in his nose, or bore through his jaw with a buckle?
3 Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
Will he make many supplications to thee, or speak soft words to thee?
4 Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?
Will he make a covenant with thee, and wilt thou take him to be a servant for ever?
5 Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
Shalt thou play with him as with a bird, or tie him up for thy handmaids?
6 Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
Shall friends cut him in pieces, shall merchants divide him?
7 Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
Wilt thou fill nets with his skin, and the cabins of fishes with his head?
8 Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
Lay thy hand upon him: remember the battle, and speak no more.
9 Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
Behold his hope shall fail him, and in the sight of all he shall be cast down.
10 He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me?
I will not stir him up, like one that is cruel: for who can resist my countenance?
11 Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
Who hath given me before that I should repay him? All things that are under heaven are 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 spare him, nor his mighty words, and framed to make supplication.
13 Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can go into the midst of his mouth?
14 Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15 His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
His body is like molten shields, shut close up with scales pressing upon one another.
16 One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
One is joined to another, and not so much as any air can come between them:
17 They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
They stick one to another and they hold one another fast, and shall not be separated.
18 His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
His sneezing is like the shining of fire, and his eyes like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
Out of his mouth go forth lamps, like torches of lighted fire.
20 Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, like that of a pot heated and boiling.
21 His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh forth out of his mouth.
22 Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
In his neck strength shall dwell, and want goeth before his face.
23 The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.
The members of his flesh cleave one to another: he shall send lightnings against him, and they shall not be carried to another place.
24 His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
His heart shall be as hard as a stone, and as firm as a smith’s anvil.
25 When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
When he shall raise him up, the angels shall fear, and being affrighted shall purify themselves.
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.
When a sword shall lay at him, it shall not be able to hold, nor a spear, nor a breastplate.
27 Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
For he shall esteem iron as straw, 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 archer shall not put him to flight, the stones of the sling are to him like stubble.
29 A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
As stubble will he esteem the hammer, and he will laugh him to scorn who shaketh the spear.
30 Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
The beams of the sun shall be under him, and he shall strew gold under him like mire.
31 The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
He shall make the deep sea to boil like a pot, and shall make it as when ointments boil.
32 After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
A path shall shine after him, he shall esteem the deep as growing old.
33 On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
There is no power upon earth that can be compared with him who was made to fear no one.
34 Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
He beholdeth every high thing, he is king over all the children of pride.
