Job 41
1 Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or tie up his jaws with a cord?
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak soft words to you?
Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as you would with a bird? Will you tie him up for your servant girls?
Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
6 Will the groups of fishermen bargain for him? Will they divide him up to trade among the merchants?
Will traders barter for him? Will they part him amongst the merchants?
7 Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?
8 Put your hand on him just once, and you will remember the battle and do it no more.
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9 See, the hope of anyone who does that is a lie; will not anyone be thrown down to the ground just by the sight of him?
Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 None is so fierce that he dare stir Leviathan up; who, then, is he who can stand before me?
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 Who has first given anything to me in order that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole sky is mine.
Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.
12 I will not keep silent concerning Leviathan's legs, nor about the matter of his strength, nor about his graceful form.
“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can penetrate his double armor?
Who can strip off his outer garment? Who will come within his jaws?
14 Who can open the doors of his face— ringed with his teeth, which are a terror?
Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
15 his back is made up of rows of shields, tight together as with a close seal.
Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.
16 One is so near to another that no air can come between them.
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined to each other; they stick together, so that they cannot be pulled apart.
They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.
18 Light flashes out from his snorting; his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning dawn.
His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning torches, sparks of fire leap out.
Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrils goes smoke like a boiling pot on a fire that has been fanned to be very hot.
Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
21 His breath kindles coals into flame; fires go out from his mouth.
His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.
22 In his neck is strength, and terror dances in front of him.
There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together; they are firm on him; they cannot be moved.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved.
24 His heart is as hard as a stone— indeed, as hard as a lower millstone.
His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, even the gods become afraid; because of fear, they draw back.
When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
26 If a sword strikes him, it does nothing— and neither does a spear, an arrow, or any other pointed weapon.
If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27 He thinks of iron as if it were straw, and of bronze as if it were rotten wood.
He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
28 An arrow cannot make him flee; to him sling stones become chaff.
The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
29 Clubs are regarded as straw; he laughs at the whirring flight of a spear.
Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
30 His lower parts are like sharp pieces of broken pottery; he leaves a spreading trail in the mud as if he were a threshing sledge.
His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He makes the deep to foam up like a pot of boiling water; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He makes a shining wake behind him; one would think the deep had gray hair.
He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.
33 On earth there is no equal to him, who has been made to live without fear.
On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.
34 He sees everything that is proud; he is king over all the sons of pride.”
He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”
