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 crocodile with a fishhook? or cause his tongue to sink into the batted rope?
2 Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
Canst thou put a reed through his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3 Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
Will he address many supplications unto thee? or will he speak submissively unto 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? that thou couldst take him as a servant for ever?
5 Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
Canst thou play with him as with a bird? and tie him up for thy maidens?
6 Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
Can companions waylay him? can they divide him among merchants?
7 Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? and [pierce] with a fish-spear 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; think of the battle: thou wilt never do it again.
9 Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
Behold, his expectation was deceived: even at his mere sight is he 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?
None is so daring that he would stir him up: and who is there that will stand up before me?
11 Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
Who hath shown me favor, that I should repay him! whatsoever is under the whole 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 conceal [the account of] his limbs, nor the relation of his might, nor the grace of his proportion.
13 Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
Who hath ever laid open the front of his garment? or who can penetrate into his double row of teeth?
14 Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
Who hath opened the doors of his face? all round about his teeth abideth terror.
15 His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
What pride is there in [his] strong shields; he is locked up as with a close seal.
16 One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
One is joined to another; and no breath can come between them.
17 They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
They are fitted closely one to another: they are interlocked, that they cannot be severed.
18 His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
From his sneezing there beameth forth a light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning-dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
Out of his mouth issue burning torches, sparks of fire escape [therefrom].
20 Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
Out of his nostrils cometh forth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21 His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh out of his mouth.
22 Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
In his neck abideth strength, and before him danceth terror joyfully.
23 The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.
The flakes of his flesh are fitted closely together: they are as molten metal on him, immovable.
24 His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
His heart is firm like a stone: yea, as firm as the nether millstone.
25 When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
At his lifting himself up the mighty are terrified: the waves also are lessened.
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 one overtake him with the sword, it cannot hold; nor the spear, the dart, and armor.
27 Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
He esteemeth 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 child of the bow cannot make him flee: into stubble are slingstones changed unto him.
29 A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
Clubs are esteemed as stubble, and he laugheth at the whirring of the lance.
30 Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
Beneath him are sharp-pointed potsherds, he spreadeth out, [as it were, a] threshing-roller upon the mire.
31 The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
He causeth the deep to boil like a pot: he rendereth the sea like an apothecary's mixture.
32 After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
Behind him he causeth his pathway to shine, [so that] men esteem the deep to be hoary.
33 On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
There is none upon earth that ruleth over him, who is made to be without dread.
34 Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
He looketh upon all that is high: he is the king over all the ravenous beasts.
