Job 41
1 Wilt thou draw out the leviathan with the hook, and press down his tongue with a cord?
Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or tie up his jaws with a cord?
2 Wilt thou put a rush-rope into his nose, and pierce his jaw with a spike?
Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? or will he speak softly unto thee?
Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak soft words to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him as a bondman for ever?
Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, and wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Will you play with him as you would with a bird? Will you tie him up for your servant girls?
6 Shall partners make traffic of him, will they divide him among merchants?
Will the groups of fishermen bargain for him? Will they divide him up to trade among the merchants?
7 Wilt thou fill his skin with darts, and his head with fish-spears?
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
8 Lay thy hand upon him; remember the battle, — do no more!
Put your hand on him just once, and you will remember the battle and do it no more.
9 Lo, hope as to him is belied: is not one cast down even at the sight of him?
See, the hope of anyone who does that is a lie; will not anyone be thrown down to the ground just by the sight of him?
10 None is so bold as to stir him up; and who is he that will stand before me?
None is so fierce that he dare stir Leviathan up; who, then, is he who can stand before me?
11 Who hath first given to me, that I should repay [him]? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine.
Who has first given anything to me in order that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole sky is mine.
12 I will not be silent as to his parts, the story of his power, and the beauty of his structure.
I will not keep silent concerning Leviathan's legs, nor about the matter of his strength, nor about his graceful form.
13 Who can uncover the surface of his garment? who can come within his double jaws?
Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can penetrate his double armor?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
Who can open the doors of his face— ringed with his teeth, which are a terror?
15 The rows of his shields are a pride, shut up together [as with] a close seal.
his back is made up of rows of shields, tight together as with a close seal.
16 One is so near to another that no air can come between them;
One is so near to another that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined each to its fellow; they stick together, and cannot be sundered.
They are joined to each other; they stick together, so that they cannot be pulled apart.
18 His sneezings flash light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
Light flashes out from his snorting; his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go forth flames; sparks of fire leap out:
Out of his mouth go burning torches, sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a boiling pot and cauldron.
Out of his nostrils goes smoke like a boiling pot on a fire that has been fanned to be very hot.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
His breath kindles coals into flame; fires go out from his mouth.
22 In his neck lodgeth strength, and terror danceth before him.
In his neck is strength, and terror dances in front of him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are fused upon him, they cannot be moved.
The folds of his flesh are joined together; they are firm on him; they cannot be moved.
24 His heart is firm as a stone, yea, firm as the nether [millstone].
His heart is as hard as a stone— indeed, as hard as a lower millstone.
25 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: they are beside themselves with consternation.
When he raises himself up, even the gods become afraid; because of fear, they draw back.
26 If any reach him with a sword, it cannot hold; neither spear, nor dart, nor harpoon.
If a sword strikes him, it does nothing— and neither does a spear, an arrow, or any other pointed weapon.
27 He esteemeth iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.
He thinks of iron as if it were straw, and of bronze as if it were rotten wood.
28 The arrow will not make him flee; slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
An arrow cannot make him flee; to him sling stones become chaff.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.
Clubs are regarded as straw; he laughs at the whirring flight of a spear.
30 His under parts are sharp potsherds: he spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire.
His lower parts are like sharp pieces of broken pottery; he leaves a spreading trail in the mud as if he were a threshing sledge.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment;
He makes the deep to foam up like a pot of boiling water; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He maketh the path to shine after him: one would think the deep to be hoary.
He makes a shining wake behind him; one would think the deep had gray hair.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
On earth there is no equal to him, who has been made to live without fear.
34 He beholdeth all high things; he is king over all the proud beasts.
He sees everything that is proud; he is king over all the sons of pride.”
