Job 41
1 Can you pull out Leviathan with a hook? Can you tie its mouth shut?
Wilt thou draw out the leviathan with the hook, and press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Can you thread a rope through its nose? Can you pass a hook through its jaw?
Wilt thou put a rush-rope into his nose, and pierce his jaw with a spike?
3 Will it beg you to let it go? Or will it talk softly to you?
Will he make many supplications unto thee? or will he speak softly unto thee?
4 Will it make a contract with you? Will it agree to be your slave forever?
Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him as a bondman for ever?
5 Will you play with it like a pet bird? Will you put it on a leash for your girls?
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, and wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6 Will your trading partners decide on a price for him, and divide him up among the merchants?
Shall partners make traffic of him, will they divide him among merchants?
7 Can you pierce his skin with many harpoons, its head with fishing spears?
Wilt thou fill his skin with darts, and his head with fish-spears?
8 If you were to grab hold of it, imagine the battle you would have! You wouldn't do that again!
Lay thy hand upon him; remember the battle, — do no more!
9 Any hope to capture it is foolish. Anyone who tries is thrown to the ground.
Lo, hope as to him is belied: is not one cast down even at the sight of him?
10 Since no one has the courage to provoke Leviathan, who would dare to stand up against me?
None is so bold as to stir him up; and who is he that will stand before me?
11 Who has confronted me with any claim that I should repay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
Who hath first given to me, that I should repay [him]? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine.
12 Let me tell you about Leviathan: its powerful legs and graceful proportions.
I will not be silent as to his parts, the story of his power, and the beauty of his structure.
13 Who can remove its hide? Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?
Who can uncover the surface of his garment? who can come within his double jaws?
14 Who can open its jaws? Its teeth are terrifying!
Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
15 Its pride is its rows of scales, closed tightly together.
The rows of his shields are a pride, shut up together [as with] a close seal.
16 Its scales are so close together that no air can pass between them.
One is so near to another that no air can come between them;
17 Each scale attaches to the next; they lock together and nothing can penetrate them.
They are joined each to its fellow; they stick together, and cannot be sundered.
18 When it sneezes light shines out. Its eyes are like the rising sun.
His sneezings flash light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Flames pour from its mouth, sparks of fire shoot out.
Out of his mouth go forth flames; sparks of fire leap out:
20 Smoke comes from its nostrils, like steam from a kettle on a fire made of reeds.
Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a boiling pot and cauldron.
21 Its breath sets fire to charcoal as flames shoot from its mouth.
His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
22 Its neck is powerful, and all who face him shake with terror.
In his neck lodgeth strength, and terror danceth before him.
23 Its body is dense and solid, as if it is made from cast metal.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are fused upon him, they cannot be moved.
24 Its heart is rock-hard, like a millstone.
His heart is firm as a stone, yea, firm as the nether [millstone].
25 When it rises, even the powerful are terrified; they retreat as it thrashes about.
When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: they are beside themselves with consternation.
26 Swords just bounce off it, as do spears, darts, and javelins.
If any reach him with a sword, it cannot hold; neither spear, nor dart, nor harpoon.
27 It brushes aside iron like straw, and bronze like rotten wood.
He esteemeth iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.
28 Arrows cannot make it run away; stones from slingshots are like pieces of stubble.
The arrow will not make him flee; slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29 Clubs are also treated like stubble; it laughs at the sound made by flying spears.
Clubs are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.
30 Its underparts are covered with points as sharp as broken pots; when it drags itself through the mud it leaves marks like a threshing sledge.
His under parts are sharp potsherds: he spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire.
31 It churns up the sea like water in a boiling pot, like a steaming bowl when ointment is mixed.
He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment;
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it as if the sea had white hair.
He maketh the path to shine after him: one would think the deep to be hoary.
33 There is nothing on earth like it: a creature that has no fear.
Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
34 It looks down on all other creatures. It is the proudest of all.”
He beholdeth all high things; he is king over all the proud beasts.
