Job 41
1 Canst thou draw out the Crocodile with a fish-hook? Or, with a cord, canst thou fasten down his tongue?
“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?
2 Wilt thou put a rush-cord on his nose? or, with a thorn, wilt thou pierce his jaw?
Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he multiply unto thee supplications, or will he speak unto thee softly?
Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
4 Will he solemnise a covenant with thee? Wilt thou take him for a life-long servant?
Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life?
5 Wilt thou sport with him, as with a little bird? Or wilt thou bind him, for thy maidens?
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
6 Shall the companions bargain over him? or will they part him among the traders?
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
7 Wilt thou fill, with darts, his skin? or, with fish-spears, his head?
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
8 Lay thou upon him thy hand, remember the battle—no more!
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!
9 Lo! any hope of him, hath been found deceptive, Even at the sight of him, shall not one be overwhelmed?
Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?
10 None so bold, that he will rouse him! Who then is he that, before me, can stand?
No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan. Then who is able to stand against Me?
11 Who hath forestalled me, that I may repay him? Under all the heavens, mine it is!
Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
12 I will not pass by in silence his parts, or the matter of strength, or the grace of his armour.
I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form.
13 Who hath removed his outer garment, through his double row of teeth, who would enter?
Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle?
14 The doors of his face, who hath opened? The circles of his teeth, are a terror!
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
15 A pride, are his arched sides, closed up, with a firm seal;
His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together.
16 One to another, they join, and, air, cannot enter between them;
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.
17 Each to its fellow, they cleave, they grasp each other, and cannot be parted;
They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
18 His sneezings, flash forth light, and, his eyes, are like the eyelashes of the dawn;
His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Out of his mouth, torches dart forth, sparks of fire, escape;
Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth!
20 Out of his nostrils, proceedeth smoke, like a blown pot and rushes;
Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 His breath, setteth coals ablaze, and, a flame, out of his mouth, proceedeth;
His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.
22 In his neck, lodgeth strength, and, before him, danceth dismay;
Strength resides in his neck, and dismay leaps before him.
23 The dewlaps of his flesh, cleave together, hardened upon him, they cannot be moved;
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
24 His heart, is hardened like a stone, yea hardened, like the nether millstone;
His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!
25 At his rising up, mighty men are afraid, by reason of terror, they are beside themselves:
When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing.
26 As for him that assaileth him, the sword availeth not, spear, dart, or coat of mail:
The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.
27 He counteth iron as broken straw, and bronze as rotten wood:
He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow, will not make him flee, Into chaff, are sling-stones changed by him:
No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him.
29 As a straw, is a club accounted, and he laugheth at the whir of the javelin;
A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.
30 His underparts, are points of potsherd, a pointed threshing roller spreadeth out upon the slime:
His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He causeth to boil, as a cauldron, the raging deep, the sea, he maketh like a brewing vessel:
He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
32 After him, he lighteth up a path, one might think the resounding deep to be hoary!
He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair!
33 There is not—upon the dust—his like, that hath been made to be without fear;
Nothing on earth is his equal— a creature devoid of fear!
34 Every thing lofty, he beholdeth, he, is king over all ravenous beasts.
He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all the proud.”
