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?
Whether thou schalt mowe drawe out leuyathan with an hook, and schalt bynde with a roop his tunge?
2 Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
Whethir thou schalt putte a ryng in hise nosethirlis, ethir schalt perse hyse cheke with `an hook?
3 Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
Whether he schal multiplie preieris to thee, ether schal speke softe thingis to thee?
4 Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?
Whether he schal make couenaunt with thee, and `thou schalt take him a seruaunt euerlastinge?
5 Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
Whether thou schalt scorne hym as a brid, ethir schalt bynde hym to thin handmaidis?
6 Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
Schulen frendis `kerue hym, schulen marchauntis departe hym?
7 Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
Whether thou schalt fille nettis with his skyn, and a `leep of fischis with his heed?
8 Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
Schalt thou putte thin hond on hym? haue thou mynde of the batel, and adde no more to speke.
9 Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
Lo! his hope schal disseyue hym; and in the siyt of alle men he schal be cast doun.
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 not as cruel schal reise hym; for who may ayenstonde my face?
11 Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
And who `yaf to me bifore, that Y yelde to hym? Alle thingis, that ben vndur heuene, ben myne.
12 I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame.
Y schal not spare hym for myyti wordis, and maad faire to biseche.
13 Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
Who schal schewe the face of his clothing, and who schal entre in to the myddis of his mouth?
14 Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
Who schal opene the yatis of his cheer? ferdfulnesse is bi the cumpas of hise teeth.
15 His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
His bodi is as yotun scheldys of bras, and ioyned togidere with scalis ouerleiynge hem silf.
16 One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
Oon is ioyned to another; and sotheli brething goith not thorouy tho.
17 They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
Oon schal cleue to anothir, and tho holdynge hem silf schulen not be departid.
18 His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
His fnesynge is as schynynge of fier, and hise iyen ben as iyelidis of the morewtid.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
Laumpis comen forth of his mouth, as trees of fier, that ben kyndlid.
20 Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
Smoke cometh forth of hise nosethirlis, as of a pot set on the fier `and boilynge.
21 His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
His breeth makith colis to brenne, and flawme goith out of his mouth.
22 Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
Strengthe schal dwelle in his necke, and nedynesse schal go bifor his face.
23 The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to 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 strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
His herte schal be maad hard as a stoon; and it schal be streyned togidere as the anefeld of a smith.
25 When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
Whanne he schal be takun awei, aungels schulen drede; and thei aferd schulen be purgid.
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.
Whanne swerd takith hym, it may not stonde, nethir spere, nether haburioun.
27 Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
For he schal arette irun as chaffis, and bras as rotun tre.
28 The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems.
A man archere schal not dryue hym awei; stoonys of a slynge ben turned in to stobil to hym.
29 A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
He schal arette an hamer as stobil; and he schal scorne a florischynge spere.
30 Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
The beemys of the sunne schulen be vndur hym; and he schal strewe to hym silf gold as cley.
31 The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
He schal make the depe se to buyle as a pot; and he schal putte, as whanne oynementis buylen.
32 After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
A path schal schyne aftir hym; he schal gesse the greet occian as wexynge eld.
33 On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
No power is on erthe, that schal be comparisound to hym; which is maad, that he schulde drede noon.
34 Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
He seeth al hiy thing; he is kyng ouer alle the sones of pride.
