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 out Leviathan with a hook? Can you tie its mouth shut?
2 Wilt thou put a rush-cord on his nose? or, with a thorn, wilt thou pierce his jaw?
Can you thread a rope through its nose? Can you pass a hook through its jaw?
3 Will he multiply unto thee supplications, or will he speak unto thee softly?
Will it beg you to let it go? Or will it talk softly to you?
4 Will he solemnise a covenant with thee? Wilt thou take him for a life-long servant?
Will it make a contract with you? Will it agree to be your slave forever?
5 Wilt thou sport with him, as with a little bird? Or wilt thou bind him, for thy maidens?
Will you play with it like a pet bird? Will you put it on a leash for your girls?
6 Shall the companions bargain over him? or will they part him among the traders?
Will your trading partners decide on a price for him, and divide him up among the merchants?
7 Wilt thou fill, with darts, his skin? or, with fish-spears, his head?
Can you pierce his skin with many harpoons, its head with fishing spears?
8 Lay thou upon him thy hand, remember the battle—no more!
If you were to grab hold of it, imagine the battle you would have! You wouldn't do that again!
9 Lo! any hope of him, hath been found deceptive, Even at the sight of him, shall not one be overwhelmed?
Any hope to capture it is foolish. Anyone who tries is thrown to the ground.
10 None so bold, that he will rouse him! Who then is he that, before me, can stand?
Since no one has the courage to provoke Leviathan, who would dare to stand up against me?
11 Who hath forestalled me, that I may repay him? Under all the heavens, mine it is!
Who has confronted me with any claim that I should repay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
12 I will not pass by in silence his parts, or the matter of strength, or the grace of his armour.
Let me tell you about Leviathan: its powerful legs and graceful proportions.
13 Who hath removed his outer garment, through his double row of teeth, who would enter?
Who can remove its hide? Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?
14 The doors of his face, who hath opened? The circles of his teeth, are a terror!
Who can open its jaws? Its teeth are terrifying!
15 A pride, are his arched sides, closed up, with a firm seal;
Its pride is its rows of scales, closed tightly together.
16 One to another, they join, and, air, cannot enter between them;
Its scales are so close together that no air can pass between them.
17 Each to its fellow, they cleave, they grasp each other, and cannot be parted;
Each scale attaches to the next; they lock together and nothing can penetrate them.
18 His sneezings, flash forth light, and, his eyes, are like the eyelashes of the dawn;
When it sneezes light shines out. Its eyes are like the rising sun.
19 Out of his mouth, torches dart forth, sparks of fire, escape;
Flames pour from its mouth, sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Out of his nostrils, proceedeth smoke, like a blown pot and rushes;
Smoke comes from its nostrils, like steam from a kettle on a fire made of reeds.
21 His breath, setteth coals ablaze, and, a flame, out of his mouth, proceedeth;
Its breath sets fire to charcoal as flames shoot from its mouth.
22 In his neck, lodgeth strength, and, before him, danceth dismay;
Its neck is powerful, and all who face him shake with terror.
23 The dewlaps of his flesh, cleave together, hardened upon him, they cannot be moved;
Its body is dense and solid, as if it is made from cast metal.
24 His heart, is hardened like a stone, yea hardened, like the nether millstone;
Its heart is rock-hard, like a millstone.
25 At his rising up, mighty men are afraid, by reason of terror, they are beside themselves:
When it rises, even the powerful are terrified; they retreat as it thrashes about.
26 As for him that assaileth him, the sword availeth not, spear, dart, or coat of mail:
Swords just bounce off it, as do spears, darts, and javelins.
27 He counteth iron as broken straw, and bronze as rotten wood:
It brushes aside iron like straw, and bronze like rotten wood.
28 The arrow, will not make him flee, Into chaff, are sling-stones changed by him:
Arrows cannot make it run away; stones from slingshots are like pieces of stubble.
29 As a straw, is a club accounted, and he laugheth at the whir of the javelin;
Clubs are also treated like stubble; it laughs at the sound made by flying spears.
30 His underparts, are points of potsherd, a pointed threshing roller spreadeth out upon the slime:
Its underparts are covered with points as sharp as broken pots; when it drags itself through the mud it leaves marks like a threshing sledge.
31 He causeth to boil, as a cauldron, the raging deep, the sea, he maketh like a brewing vessel:
It churns up the sea like water in a boiling pot, like a steaming bowl when ointment is mixed.
32 After him, he lighteth up a path, one might think the resounding deep to be hoary!
It leaves a glistening wake behind it as if the sea had white hair.
33 There is not—upon the dust—his like, that hath been made to be without fear;
There is nothing on earth like it: a creature that has no fear.
34 Every thing lofty, he beholdeth, he, is king over all ravenous beasts.
It looks down on all other creatures. It is the proudest of all.”
