< Job 41 >

1 Canst thou drawe out Liuiathan with an hooke, and with a line which thou shalt cast downe vnto his tongue?
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Canst thou cast an hooke into his nose? canst thou perce his iawes with an angle?
Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Will he make many prayers vnto thee, or speake thee faire?
Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
4 Will hee make a couenant with thee? and wilt thou take him as a seruant for euer?
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? or wilt thou bynd him for thy maydes?
Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
6 Shall the companions baket with him? shall they deuide him among the marchants?
Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?
7 Canst thou fill the basket with his skinne? or the fishpanier with his head?
Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?
8 Lay thine hand vpon him: remember the battel, and do no more so.
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9 Behold, his hope is in vaine: for shall not one perish euen at the sight of him?
Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 None is so fearce that dare stirre him vp. Who is he then that can stand before me?
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 Who hath preuented mee that I shoulde make an ende? Al vnder heauen is mine.
Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.
12 I will not keepe silence concerning his partes, nor his power nor his comely proportion.
“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Who can discouer the face of his garmet? or who shall come to him with a double bridle?
Who can strip off his outer garment? Who will come within his jaws?
14 Who shall open the doores of his face? his teeth are fearefull round about.
Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
15 The maiestie of his scales is like strog shields, and are sure sealed.
Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.
16 One is set to another, that no winde can come betweene them.
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17 One is ioyned to another: they sticke together, that they cannot be sundered.
They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they cannot be pulled apart.
18 His niesings make the light to shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go lampes, and sparkes of fire leape out.
Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrels commeth out smoke, as out of a boyling pot or caldron.
Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
21 His breath maketh the coales burne: for a flame goeth out of his mouth.
His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.
22 In his necke remayneth strength, and labour is reiected before his face.
There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.
23 The members of his bodie are ioyned: they are strong in themselues, and cannot be mooued.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as strong as a stone, and as hard as the nether milstone.
His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
25 The mightie are afrayd of his maiestie, and for feare they faint in themselues.
When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
26 When the sword doeth touch him, he will not rise vp, nor for the speare, dart nor habergeon.
If one attacks him with the sword, it cannot prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27 He esteemeth yron as strawe, and brasse as rotten wood.
He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The archer canot make him flee: ye stones of the sling are turned into stubble vnto him:
The arrow cannot make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
29 The dartes are counted as strawe: and hee laugheth at the shaking of the speare.
Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
30 Sharpe stones are vnder him, and he spreadeth sharpe things vpon the myre.
His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He maketh the depth to boyle like a pot, and maketh the sea like a pot of oyntment.
He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He maketh a path to shine after him: one would thinke the depth as an hoare head.
He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.
33 In the earth there is none like him: hee is made without feare.
On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.
34 He beholdeth al hie things: he is a King ouer all the children of pride.
He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”

< Job 41 >