Job 41
1 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?
2 Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
4 Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
6 Will traders barter for him? Will they part him amongst the merchants?
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
8 Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down even at the sight of him?
Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?
10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan. Then who is able to stand against Me?
11 Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.
Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form.
13 Who can strip off his outer garment? Who will come within his jaws?
Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
15 Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.
His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together.
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.
17 They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.
They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
18 His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out.
Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth!
20 Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.
His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.
22 There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.
Strength resides in his neck, and dismay leaps before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved.
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing.
26 If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.
27 He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.
30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
32 He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.
He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair!
33 On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.
Nothing on earth is his equal— a creature devoid of fear!
34 He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”
He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all the proud.”
