Job 41
1 Can you draw out leviathan (sea serpent) with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which you let down?
Can you pull out Leviathan with a hook? Can you tie its mouth shut?
2 Can you put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
Can you thread a rope through its nose? Can you pass a hook through its jaw?
3 Will he make many supplications unto you? will he speak soft words unto you?
Will it beg you to let it go? Or will it talk softly to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with you? will you take him for a servant for ever?
Will it make a contract with you? Will it agree to be your slave forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird? or will you bind him for your maidens?
Will you play with it like a pet bird? Will you put it on a leash for your girls?
6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
Will your trading partners decide on a price for him, and divide him up among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
Can you pierce his skin with many harpoons, its head with fishing spears?
8 Lay your hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
If you were to grab hold of it, imagine the battle you would have! You wouldn't do that again!
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
Any hope to capture it is foolish. Anyone who tries is thrown to the ground.
10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
Since no one has the courage to provoke Leviathan, who would dare to stand up against me?
11 Who has prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
Who has confronted me with any claim that I should repay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
Let me tell you about Leviathan: its powerful legs and graceful proportions.
13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
Who can remove its hide? Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
Who can open its jaws? Its teeth are terrifying!
15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
Its pride is its rows of scales, closed tightly together.
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
Its scales are so close together that no air can pass between them.
17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
Each scale attaches to the next; they lock together and nothing can penetrate them.
18 By his exhaling a light does shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
When it sneezes light shines out. Its eyes are like the rising sun.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
Flames pour from its mouth, sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Out of his nostrils goes smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
Smoke comes from its nostrils, like steam from a kettle on a fire made of reeds.
21 His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
Its breath sets fire to charcoal as flames shoot from its mouth.
22 In his neck remains strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
Its neck is powerful, and all who face him shake with terror.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
Its body is dense and solid, as if it is made from cast metal.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
Its heart is rock-hard, like a millstone.
25 When he raises up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
When it rises, even the powerful are terrified; they retreat as it thrashes about.
26 The sword of him that lays at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the armour of jacket.
Swords just bounce off it, as do spears, darts, and javelins.
27 He esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
It brushes aside iron like straw, and bronze like rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: sling stones are turned with him into stubble.
Arrows cannot make it run away; stones from slingshots are like pieces of stubble.
29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laughs at the shaking of a spear.
Clubs are also treated like stubble; it laughs at the sound made by flying spears.
30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreads sharp pointed things upon the mire.
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.
31 He makes the deep to boil like a pot: he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
It churns up the sea like water in a boiling pot, like a steaming bowl when ointment is mixed.
32 He makes a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
It leaves a glistening wake behind it as if the sea had white hair.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
There is nothing on earth like it: a creature that has no fear.
34 He beholds all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
It looks down on all other creatures. It is the proudest of all.”
