Job 41
1 “Do you draw leviathan with a hook? And do you let down his tongue with a rope?
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Do you put a reed in his nose? And pierce his jaw with a thorn?
Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Does he multiply supplications to you? Does he speak tender things to you?
Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
4 Does he make a covenant with you? Do you take him for a perpetual servant?
Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
5 Do you play with him as a bird? And do you bind him for your girls?
Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
6 (Companions feast on him, They divide him among the merchants!)
Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?
7 Do you fill his skin with barbed irons? And his head with fish-spears?
Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?
8 Place your hand on him, Remember the battle—do not add!
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9 Behold, the hope of him is found a liar, Also, is one not cast down at his appearance?
Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 None so fierce that he awakes him, And who [is] he [who] stations himself before Me?
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 Who has brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it [is] Mine.
Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.
12 I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement.
“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Who has uncovered the face of his clothing? Who enters within his double bridle?
Who can strip off his outer garment? Who will come within his jaws?
14 Who has opened the doors of his face? Around his teeth [are] terrible.
Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
15 A pride—strong ones of shields, Shut up—a close seal.
Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.
16 They draw near to one another, And air does not enter between them.
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17 They adhere to one another, They stick together and are not separated.
They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.
18 His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes [are] as the eyelids of the dawn.
His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Flames go out of his mouth, sparks of fire escape.
Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out.
20 Smoke goes forth out of his nostrils, As a blown pot and reeds.
Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
21 His breath sets coals on fire, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Strength lodges in his neck, And grief exults before him.
There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh have adhered—Firm on him—it is not moved.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved.
24 His heart [is] firm as a stone, Indeed, firm as the lower piece.
His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
25 The mighty are afraid at his rising, From his breakings they keep themselves free.
When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
26 The sword of his overtaker does not stand, Spear, dart, and breastplate.
If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27 He reckons iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.
He counts iron as straw, and bronze 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 arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
29 Darts have been reckoned as stubble, And he laughs at the shaking of a javelin.
Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
30 Sharp points of clay [are] under him, He spreads gold on the mire.
His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He causes the deep to boil as a pot, He makes the sea as a pot of ointment.
He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He causes a path to shine after him, One thinks the deep to be hoary.
He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.
33 There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror.
On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.
34 He sees every high thing, He [is] king over all sons of pride.”
He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”
