< Job 41 >

1 Canst thou draw out the crocodile with a fishhook? or cause his tongue to sink into the batted rope?
תִּמְשֹׁךְ לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה וּבְחֶבֶל תַּשְׁקִיעַ לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃
2 Canst thou put a reed through his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
הֲתָשִׂים אַגְמוֹן בְּאַפּוֹ וּבְחוֹחַ תִּקּוֹב לֶֽחֱיוֹ׃
3 Will he address many supplications unto thee? or will he speak submissively unto thee?
הֲיַרְבֶּה אֵלֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִים אִם־יְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ רַכּֽוֹת׃
4 Will he make a covenant with thee? that thou couldst take him as a servant for ever?
הֲיִכְרֹת בְּרִית עִמָּךְ תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לְעֶבֶד עוֹלָֽם׃
5 Canst thou play with him as with a bird? and tie him up for thy maidens?
הֽ͏ַתְשַׂחֶק־בּוֹ כַּצִּפּוֹר וְתִקְשְׁרֶנּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
6 Can companions waylay him? can they divide him among merchants?
יִכְרוּ עָלָיו חַבָּרִים יֶחֱצוּהוּ בֵּין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? and [pierce] with a fish-spear his head?
הַֽתְמַלֵּא בְשֻׂכּוֹת עוֹרוֹ וּבְצִלְצַל דָּגִים רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃
8 Lay thy hand upon him; think of the battle: thou wilt never do it again.
שִׂים־עָלָיו כַּפֶּךָ זְכֹר מִלְחָמָה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף׃
9 Behold, his expectation was deceived: even at his mere sight is he cast down.
הֵן־תֹּחַלְתּוֹ נִכְזָבָה הֲגַם אֶל־מַרְאָיו יֻטָֽל׃
10 None is so daring that he would stir him up: and who is there that will stand up before me?
לֹֽא־אַכְזָר כִּי יְעוּרֶנּוּ וּמִי הוּא לְפָנַי יִתְיַצָּֽב׃
11 Who hath shown me favor, that I should repay him! whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.—
מִי הִקְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּם תַּחַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם לִי־הֽוּא׃
12 I will not conceal [the account of] his limbs, nor the relation of his might, nor the grace of his proportion.
לא־לֽוֹ־אַחֲרִישׁ בַּדָּיו וּדְבַר־גְּבוּרוֹת וְחִין עֶרְכּֽוֹ׃
13 Who hath ever laid open the front of his garment? or who can penetrate into his double row of teeth?
מִֽי־גִלָּה פְּנֵי לְבוּשׁוֹ בְּכֶפֶל רִסְנוֹ מִי יָבֽוֹא׃
14 Who hath opened the doors of his face? all round about his teeth abideth terror.
דַּלְתֵי פָנָיו מִי פִתֵּחַ סְבִיבוֹת שִׁנָּיו אֵימָֽה׃
15 What pride is there in [his] strong shields; he is locked up as with a close seal.
גַּאֲוָה אֲפִיקֵי מָֽגִנִּים סָגוּר חוֹתָם צָֽר׃
16 One is joined to another; and no breath can come between them.
אֶחָד בְּאֶחָד יִגַּשׁוּ וְרוּחַ לֹא־יָבוֹא בֵֽינֵיהֶֽם׃
17 They are fitted closely one to another: they are interlocked, that they cannot be severed.
אִישׁ־בְּאָחִיהוּ יְדֻבָּקוּ יִתְלַכְּדוּ וְלֹא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃
18 From his sneezing there beameth forth a light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning-dawn.
עֲ‍ֽטִישֹׁתָיו תָּהֶל אוֹר וְעֵינָיו כְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃
19 Out of his mouth issue burning torches, sparks of fire escape [therefrom].
מִפִּיו לַפִּידִים יַהֲלֹכוּ כִּידוֹדֵי אֵשׁ יִתְמַלָּֽטוּ׃
20 Out of his nostrils cometh forth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
מִנְּחִירָיו יֵצֵא עָשָׁן כְּדוּד נָפוּחַ וְאַגְמֹֽן׃
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh out of his mouth.
נַפְשׁוֹ גֶּחָלִים תְּלַהֵט וְלַהַב מִפִּיו יֵצֵֽא׃
22 In his neck abideth strength, and before him danceth terror joyfully.
בְּֽצַוָּארוֹ יָלִין עֹז וּלְפָנָיו תָּדוּץ דְּאָבָֽה׃
23 The flakes of his flesh are fitted closely together: they are as molten metal on him, immovable.
מַפְּלֵי בְשָׂרוֹ דָבֵקוּ יָצוּק עָלָיו בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃
24 His heart is firm like a stone: yea, as firm as the nether millstone.
לִבּוֹ יָצוּק כְּמוֹ־אָבֶן וְיָצוּק כְּפֶלַח תַּחְתִּֽית׃
25 At his lifting himself up the mighty are terrified: the waves also are lessened.
מִשֵּׂתוֹ יָגוּרוּ אֵלִים מִשְּׁבָרִים יִתְחַטָּֽאוּ׃
26 If one overtake him with the sword, it cannot hold; nor the spear, the dart, and armor.
מַשִּׂיגֵהוּ חֶרֶב בְּלִי תָקוּם חֲנִית מַסָּע וְשִׁרְיָֽה׃
27 He esteemeth iron as straw, [and] brass as rotten wood.
יַחְשֹׁב לְתֶבֶן בַּרְזֶל לְעֵץ רִקָּבוֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃
28 The child of the bow cannot make him flee: into stubble are slingstones changed unto him.
לֹֽא־יַבְרִיחֶנּוּ בֶן־קָשֶׁת לְקַשׁ נֶהְפְּכוּ־לוֹ אַבְנֵי־קָֽלַע׃
29 Clubs are esteemed as stubble, and he laugheth at the whirring of the lance.
כְּקַשׁ נֶחְשְׁבוּ תוֹתָח וְיִשְׂחַק לְרַעַשׁ כִּידֽוֹן׃
30 Beneath him are sharp-pointed potsherds, he spreadeth out, [as it were, a] threshing-roller upon the mire.
תַּחְתָּיו חַדּוּדֵי חָרֶשׂ יִרְפַּד חָרוּץ עֲלֵי־טִֽיט׃
31 He causeth the deep to boil like a pot: he rendereth the sea like an apothecary's mixture.
יַרְתִּיחַ כַּסִּיר מְצוּלָה יָם יָשִׂים כַּמֶּרְקָחָֽה׃
32 Behind him he causeth his pathway to shine, [so that] men esteem the deep to be hoary.
אַחֲרָיו יָאִיר נָתִיב יַחְשֹׁב תְּהוֹם לְשֵׂיבָֽה׃
33 There is none upon earth that ruleth over him, who is made to be without dread.
אֵֽין־עַל־עָפָר מָשְׁלוֹ הֶעָשׂוּ לִבְלִי־חָֽת׃
34 He looketh upon all that is high: he is the king over all the ravenous beasts.
אֵֽת־כָּל־גָּבֹהַּ יִרְאֶה הוּא מֶלֶךְ עַל־כָּל־בְּנֵי־שָֽׁחַץ׃

< Job 41 >