Job 41
1 Canst thou draw out the crocodile with a fishhook? or cause his tongue to sink into the batted rope?
“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?
2 Canst thou put a reed through his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he address many supplications unto thee? or will he speak submissively unto thee?
Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee? that thou couldst take him as a servant for ever?
Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life?
5 Canst thou play with him as with a bird? and tie him up for thy maidens?
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
6 Can companions waylay him? can they divide him among merchants?
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? and [pierce] with a fish-spear his head?
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
8 Lay thy hand upon him; think of the battle: thou wilt never do it again.
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!
9 Behold, his expectation was deceived: even at his mere sight is he cast down.
Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?
10 None is so daring that he would stir him up: and who is there that will stand up before me?
No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan. Then who is able to stand against Me?
11 Who hath shown me favor, that I should repay him! whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.—
Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
12 I will not conceal [the account of] his limbs, nor the relation of his might, nor the grace of his proportion.
I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form.
13 Who hath ever laid open the front of his garment? or who can penetrate into his double row of teeth?
Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle?
14 Who hath opened the doors of his face? all round about his teeth abideth terror.
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
15 What pride is there in [his] strong shields; he is locked up as with a close seal.
His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together.
16 One is joined to another; and no breath can come between them.
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.
17 They are fitted closely one to another: they are interlocked, that they cannot be severed.
They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
18 From his sneezing there beameth forth a light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning-dawn.
His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Out of his mouth issue burning torches, sparks of fire escape [therefrom].
Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth!
20 Out of his nostrils cometh forth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh out of his mouth.
His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.
22 In his neck abideth strength, and before him danceth terror joyfully.
Strength resides in his neck, and dismay leaps before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are fitted closely together: they are as molten metal on him, immovable.
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
24 His heart is firm like a stone: yea, as firm as the nether millstone.
His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!
25 At his lifting himself up the mighty are terrified: the waves also are lessened.
When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing.
26 If one overtake him with the sword, it cannot hold; nor the spear, the dart, and armor.
The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.
27 He esteemeth iron as straw, [and] brass as rotten wood.
He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The child of the bow cannot make him flee: into stubble are slingstones changed unto him.
No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him.
29 Clubs are esteemed as stubble, and he laugheth at the whirring of the lance.
A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.
30 Beneath him are sharp-pointed potsherds, he spreadeth out, [as it were, a] threshing-roller upon the mire.
His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He causeth the deep to boil like a pot: he rendereth the sea like an apothecary's mixture.
He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
32 Behind him he causeth his pathway to shine, [so that] men esteem the deep to be hoary.
He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair!
33 There is none upon earth that ruleth over him, who is made to be without dread.
Nothing on earth is his equal— a creature devoid of fear!
34 He looketh upon all that is high: he is the king over all the ravenous beasts.
He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all the proud.”
