Job 41
1 Canst thou draw forth the crocodile with a hook, Or press down his tongue with a cord?
Whether thou schalt mowe drawe out leuyathan with an hook, and schalt bynde with a roop his tunge?
2 Canst thou put a rope into his nose, Or pierce his cheek with a hook?
Whethir thou schalt putte a ryng in hise nosethirlis, ethir schalt perse hyse cheke with `an hook?
3 Will he make many entreaties to thee? Will he speak soft words to thee?
Whether he schal multiplie preieris to thee, ether schal speke softe thingis to thee?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee? Canst thou take him for a servant for ever?
Whether he schal make couenaunt with thee, and `thou schalt take him a seruaunt euerlastinge?
5 Canst thou play with him, as with a bird? Or canst thou bind him for thy maidens?
Whether thou schalt scorne hym as a brid, ethir schalt bynde hym to thin handmaidis?
6 Do men in company lay snares for him? Do they divide him among the merchants?
Schulen frendis `kerue hym, schulen marchauntis departe hym?
7 Canst thou fill his skirt with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?
Whether thou schalt fille nettis with his skyn, and a `leep of fischis with his heed?
8 Do but lay thy hand upon him, —Thou wilt no more think of battle!
Schalt thou putte thin hond on hym? haue thou mynde of the batel, and adde no more to speke.
9 Behold, his hope is vain! Is he not cast down at the very sight of him?
Lo! his hope schal disseyue hym; and in the siyt of alle men he schal be cast doun.
10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me?
I not as cruel schal reise hym; for who may ayenstonde my face?
11 Who hath done me a favor, that I must repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
And who `yaf to me bifore, that Y yelde to hym? Alle thingis, that ben vndur heuene, ben myne.
12 I will not be silent concerning his limbs, And his strength, and the beauty of his armor.
Y schal not spare hym for myyti wordis, and maad faire to biseche.
13 Who can uncover the surface of his garment? Who will approach his jaws?
Who schal schewe the face of his clothing, and who schal entre in to the myddis of his mouth?
14 Who will open the doors of his face? The rows of his teeth are terrible!
Who schal opene the yatis of his cheer? ferdfulnesse is bi the cumpas of hise teeth.
15 His glory is his strong shields, United with each other, as with a close seal.
His bodi is as yotun scheldys of bras, and ioyned togidere with scalis ouerleiynge hem silf.
16 They are joined one to another, So that no air can come between them.
Oon is ioyned to another; and sotheli brething goith not thorouy tho.
17 They cleave fast to each other, They hold together, and cannot be separated.
Oon schal cleue to anothir, and tho holdynge hem silf schulen not be departid.
18 His sneezing sendeth forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelashes of the morning.
His fnesynge is as schynynge of fier, and hise iyen ben as iyelidis of the morewtid.
19 Out of his mouth go flames, And sparks of fire leap forth.
Laumpis comen forth of his mouth, as trees of fier, that ben kyndlid.
20 From his nostrils issueth smoke, as from a heated pot, or caldron.
Smoke cometh forth of hise nosethirlis, as of a pot set on the fier `and boilynge.
21 His breath kindleth coals, And flames issue from his mouth.
His breeth makith colis to brenne, and flawme goith out of his mouth.
22 In his neck dwelleth strength, And terror danceth before him.
Strengthe schal dwelle in his necke, and nedynesse schal go bifor his face.
23 The flakes of his flesh cleave fast together; They are firm upon him, and cannot be moved.
The membris of hise fleischis ben cleuynge togidere to hem silf; God schal sende floodis ayens hym, and tho schulen not be borun to an other place.
24 His heart is solid like a stone; Yea, solid like the nether millstone.
His herte schal be maad hard as a stoon; and it schal be streyned togidere as the anefeld of a smith.
25 When he riseth up, the mighty are afraid; Yea, they lose themselves for terror.
Whanne he schal be takun awei, aungels schulen drede; and thei aferd schulen be purgid.
26 The sword of him that assaileth him doth not stand, The spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
Whanne swerd takith hym, it may not stonde, nethir spere, nether haburioun.
27 He regardeth iron as straw, And brass as rotten wood.
For he schal arette irun as chaffis, and bras as rotun tre.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee; Sling-stones to him become stubble;
A man archere schal not dryue hym awei; stoonys of a slynge ben turned in to stobil to hym.
29 Clubs are accounted by him as straw; He laugheth at the shaking of the spear.
He schal arette an hamer as stobil; and he schal scorne a florischynge spere.
30 Under him are sharp potsherds; He spreadeth out a thrashing-sledge upon the mire.
The beemys of the sunne schulen be vndur hym; and he schal strewe to hym silf gold as cley.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a caldron; He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
He schal make the depe se to buyle as a pot; and he schal putte, as whanne oynementis buylen.
32 Behind him he leaveth a shining path; One would think the deep to be hoary.
A path schal schyne aftir hym; he schal gesse the greet occian as wexynge eld.
33 Upon the earth there is not his master; He is made without fear.
No power is on erthe, that schal be comparisound to hym; which is maad, that he schulde drede noon.
34 He looketh down upon all that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.
He seeth al hiy thing; he is kyng ouer alle the sones of pride.
