< Job 41 >

1 “Do you draw leviathan with a hook? And do you let down his tongue with a rope?
Canst thou draw out the leviathan with a hook, or canst thou tie his tongue with a cord?
2 Do you put a reed in his nose? And pierce his jaw with a thorn?
Canst thou put a ring in his nose, or bore through his jaw with a buckle?
3 Does he multiply supplications to you? Does he speak tender things to you?
Will he make many supplications to thee, or speak soft words to thee?
4 Does he make a covenant with you? Do you take him for a perpetual servant?
Will he make a covenant with thee, and wilt thou take him to be a servant for ever?
5 Do you play with him as a bird? And do you bind him for your girls?
Shalt thou play with him as with a bird, or tie him up for thy handmaids?
6 (Companions feast on him, They divide him among the merchants!)
Shall friends cut him in pieces, shall merchants divide him?
7 Do you fill his skin with barbed irons? And his head with fish-spears?
Wilt thou fill nets with his skin, and the cabins of fishes with his head?
8 Place your hand on him, Remember the battle—do not add!
Lay thy hand upon him: remember the battle, and speak no more.
9 Behold, the hope of him is found a liar, Also, is one not cast down at his appearance?
Behold his hope shall fail him, and in the sight of all he shall be cast down.
10 None so fierce that he awakes him, And who [is] he [who] stations himself before Me?
I will not stir him up, like one that is cruel: for who can resist my countenance?
11 Who has brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it [is] Mine.
Who hath given me before that I should repay him? All things that are under heaven are mine.
12 I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement.
I will not spare him, nor his mighty words, and framed to make supplication.
13 Who has uncovered the face of his clothing? Who enters within his double bridle?
Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can go into the midst of his mouth?
14 Who has opened the doors of his face? Around his teeth [are] terrible.
Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15 A pride—strong ones of shields, Shut up—a close seal.
His body is like molten shields, shut close up with scales pressing upon one another.
16 They draw near to one another, And air does not enter between them.
One is joined to another, and not so much as any air can come between them:
17 They adhere to one another, They stick together and are not separated.
They stick one to another and they hold one another fast, and shall not be separated.
18 His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes [are] as the eyelids of the dawn.
His sneezing is like the shining of fire, and his eyes like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Flames go out of his mouth, sparks of fire escape.
Out of his mouth go forth lamps, like torches of lighted fire.
20 Smoke goes forth out of his nostrils, As a blown pot and reeds.
Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, like that of a pot heated and boiling.
21 His breath sets coals on fire, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh forth out of his mouth.
22 Strength lodges in his neck, And grief exults before him.
In his neck strength shall dwell, and want goeth before his face.
23 The flakes of his flesh have adhered—Firm on him—it is not moved.
The members of his flesh cleave one to another: he shall send lightnings against him, and they shall not be carried to another place.
24 His heart [is] firm as a stone, Indeed, firm as the lower piece.
His heart shall be as hard as a stone, and as firm as a smith’s anvil.
25 The mighty are afraid at his rising, From his breakings they keep themselves free.
When he shall raise him up, the angels shall fear, and being affrighted shall purify themselves.
26 The sword of his overtaker does not stand, Spear, dart, and breastplate.
When a sword shall lay at him, it shall not be able to hold, nor a spear, nor a breastplate.
27 He reckons iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.
For he shall esteem iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28 The son of the bow does not cause him to flee, Stones of the sling are turned into stubble by him.
The archer shall not put him to flight, the stones of the sling are to him like stubble.
29 Darts have been reckoned as stubble, And he laughs at the shaking of a javelin.
As stubble will he esteem the hammer, and he will laugh him to scorn who shaketh the spear.
30 Sharp points of clay [are] under him, He spreads gold on the mire.
The beams of the sun shall be under him, and he shall strew gold under him like mire.
31 He causes the deep to boil as a pot, He makes the sea as a pot of ointment.
He shall make the deep sea to boil like a pot, and shall make it as when ointments boil.
32 He causes a path to shine after him, One thinks the deep to be hoary.
A path shall shine after him, he shall esteem the deep as growing old.
33 There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror.
There is no power upon earth that can be compared with him who was made to fear no one.
34 He sees every high thing, He [is] king over all sons of pride.”
He beholdeth every high thing, he is king over all the children of pride.

< Job 41 >