Job 41
1 Can you pull out Leviathan with a hook? Can you tie its mouth shut?
Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
2 Can you thread a rope through its nose? Can you pass a hook through its jaw?
Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3 Will it beg you to let it go? Or will it talk softly to you?
Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words 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 for a servant 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? or 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 the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
7 Can you pierce his skin with many harpoons, its head with fishing spears?
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or 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 thine 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.
Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be 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 fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
11 Who has confronted me with any claim that I should repay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
Who hath prevented 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 conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
13 Who can remove its hide? Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?
Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
14 Who can open its jaws? Its teeth are terrifying!
Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15 Its pride is its rows of scales, closed tightly together.
His scales are his 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 one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
18 When it sneezes light shines out. Its eyes are like the rising sun.
By his neesings a light doth shine, 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 burning lamps, and 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 seething pot or caldron.
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 remaineth strength, and sorrow 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 firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
24 Its heart is rock-hard, like a millstone.
His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
25 When it rises, even the powerful are terrified; they retreat as it thrashes about.
When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
26 Swords just bounce off it, as do spears, darts, and javelins.
The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor armour.
27 It brushes aside iron like straw, and bronze like rotten wood.
He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28 Arrows cannot make it run away; stones from slingshots are like pieces of stubble.
The arrow cannot 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.
Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
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.
Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things 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 a 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 a king over all the children of pride.
