< Job 41 >
1 Canst thou drawe out Liuiathan with an hooke, and with a line which thou shalt cast downe vnto his tongue?
Whether thou schalt mowe drawe out leuyathan with an hook, and schalt bynde with a roop his tunge?
2 Canst thou cast an hooke into his nose? canst thou perce his iawes with an angle?
Whethir thou schalt putte a ryng in hise nosethirlis, ethir schalt perse hyse cheke with `an hook?
3 Will he make many prayers vnto thee, or speake thee faire?
Whether he schal multiplie preieris to thee, ether schal speke softe thingis to thee?
4 Will hee make a couenant with thee? and wilt thou take him as a seruant for euer?
Whether he schal make couenaunt with thee, and `thou schalt take him a seruaunt euerlastinge?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bynd him for thy maydes?
Whether thou schalt scorne hym as a brid, ethir schalt bynde hym to thin handmaidis?
6 Shall the companions baket with him? shall they deuide him among the marchants?
Schulen frendis `kerue hym, schulen marchauntis departe hym?
7 Canst thou fill the basket with his skinne? or the fishpanier with his head?
Whether thou schalt fille nettis with his skyn, and a `leep of fischis with his heed?
8 Lay thine hand vpon him: remember the battel, and do no more so.
Schalt thou putte thin hond on hym? haue thou mynde of the batel, and adde no more to speke.
9 Behold, his hope is in vaine: for shall not one perish euen at the sight of him?
Lo! his hope schal disseyue hym; and in the siyt of alle men he schal be cast doun.
10 None is so fearce that dare stirre him vp. Who is he then that can stand before me?
I not as cruel schal reise hym; for who may ayenstonde my face?
11 Who hath preuented mee that I shoulde make an ende? Al vnder heauen is mine.
And who `yaf to me bifore, that Y yelde to hym? Alle thingis, that ben vndur heuene, ben myne.
12 I will not keepe silence concerning his partes, nor his power nor his comely proportion.
Y schal not spare hym for myyti wordis, and maad faire to biseche.
13 Who can discouer the face of his garmet? or who shall come to him with a double bridle?
Who schal schewe the face of his clothing, and who schal entre in to the myddis of his mouth?
14 Who shall open the doores of his face? his teeth are fearefull round about.
Who schal opene the yatis of his cheer? ferdfulnesse is bi the cumpas of hise teeth.
15 The maiestie of his scales is like strog shields, and are sure sealed.
His bodi is as yotun scheldys of bras, and ioyned togidere with scalis ouerleiynge hem silf.
16 One is set to another, that no winde can come betweene them.
Oon is ioyned to another; and sotheli brething goith not thorouy tho.
17 One is ioyned to another: they sticke together, that they cannot be sundered.
Oon schal cleue to anothir, and tho holdynge hem silf schulen not be departid.
18 His niesings make the light to shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
His fnesynge is as schynynge of fier, and hise iyen ben as iyelidis of the morewtid.
19 Out of his mouth go lampes, and sparkes of fire leape out.
Laumpis comen forth of his mouth, as trees of fier, that ben kyndlid.
20 Out of his nostrels commeth out smoke, as out of a boyling pot or caldron.
Smoke cometh forth of hise nosethirlis, as of a pot set on the fier `and boilynge.
21 His breath maketh the coales burne: for a flame goeth out of his mouth.
His breeth makith colis to brenne, and flawme goith out of his mouth.
22 In his necke remayneth strength, and labour is reiected before his face.
Strengthe schal dwelle in his necke, and nedynesse schal go bifor his face.
23 The members of his bodie are ioyned: they are strong in themselues, and cannot be mooued.
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, and as hard as the nether milstone.
His herte schal be maad hard as a stoon; and it schal be streyned togidere as the anefeld of a smith.
25 The mightie are afrayd of his maiestie, and for feare they faint in themselues.
Whanne he schal be takun awei, aungels schulen drede; and thei aferd schulen be purgid.
26 When the sword doeth touch him, he will not rise vp, nor for the speare, dart nor habergeon.
Whanne swerd takith hym, it may not stonde, nethir spere, nether haburioun.
27 He esteemeth yron as strawe, and brasse as rotten wood.
For he schal arette irun as chaffis, and bras as rotun tre.
28 The archer canot make him flee: ye stones of the sling are turned into stubble vnto him:
A man archere schal not dryue hym awei; stoonys of a slynge ben turned in to stobil to hym.
29 The dartes are counted as strawe: and hee laugheth at the shaking of the speare.
He schal arette an hamer as stobil; and he schal scorne a florischynge spere.
30 Sharpe stones are vnder him, and he spreadeth sharpe things vpon the myre.
The beemys of the sunne schulen be vndur hym; and he schal strewe to hym silf gold as cley.
31 He maketh the depth to boyle like a pot, and maketh the sea like a pot of oyntment.
He schal make the depe se to buyle as a pot; and he schal putte, as whanne oynementis buylen.
32 He maketh a path to shine after him: one would thinke the depth as an hoare head.
A path schal schyne aftir hym; he schal gesse the greet occian as wexynge eld.
33 In the earth there is none like him: hee is made without feare.
No power is on erthe, that schal be comparisound to hym; which is maad, that he schulde drede noon.
34 He beholdeth al hie things: he is a King ouer all the children of pride.
He seeth al hiy thing; he is kyng ouer alle the sones of pride.