< Job 41 >
1 Whether thou schalt mowe drawe out leuyathan with an hook, and schalt bynde with a roop his tunge?
“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?
2 Whethir thou schalt putte a ryng in hise nosethirlis, ethir schalt perse hyse cheke with `an hook?
Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Whether he schal multiplie preieris to thee, ether schal speke softe thingis to thee?
Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
4 Whether he schal make couenaunt with thee, and `thou schalt take him a seruaunt euerlastinge?
Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life?
5 Whether thou schalt scorne hym as a brid, ethir schalt bynde hym to thin handmaidis?
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
6 Schulen frendis `kerue hym, schulen marchauntis departe hym?
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
7 Whether thou schalt fille nettis with his skyn, and a `leep of fischis with his heed?
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
8 Schalt thou putte thin hond on hym? haue thou mynde of the batel, and adde no more to speke.
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!
9 Lo! his hope schal disseyue hym; and in the siyt of alle men he schal be cast doun.
Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?
10 I not as cruel schal reise hym; for who may ayenstonde my face?
No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan. Then who is able to stand against Me?
11 And who `yaf to me bifore, that Y yelde to hym? Alle thingis, that ben vndur heuene, ben myne.
Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
12 Y schal not spare hym for myyti wordis, and maad faire to biseche.
I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form.
13 Who schal schewe the face of his clothing, and who schal entre in to the myddis of his mouth?
Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle?
14 Who schal opene the yatis of his cheer? ferdfulnesse is bi the cumpas of hise teeth.
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
15 His bodi is as yotun scheldys of bras, and ioyned togidere with scalis ouerleiynge hem silf.
His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together.
16 Oon is ioyned to another; and sotheli brething goith not thorouy tho.
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.
17 Oon schal cleue to anothir, and tho holdynge hem silf schulen not be departid.
They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
18 His fnesynge is as schynynge of fier, and hise iyen ben as iyelidis of the morewtid.
His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Laumpis comen forth of his mouth, as trees of fier, that ben kyndlid.
Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth!
20 Smoke cometh forth of hise nosethirlis, as of a pot set on the fier `and boilynge.
Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 His breeth makith colis to brenne, and flawme goith out of his mouth.
His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.
22 Strengthe schal dwelle in his necke, and nedynesse schal go bifor his face.
Strength resides in his neck, and dismay leaps before him.
23 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.
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
24 His herte schal be maad hard as a stoon; and it schal be streyned togidere as the anefeld of a smith.
His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!
25 Whanne he schal be takun awei, aungels schulen drede; and thei aferd schulen be purgid.
When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing.
26 Whanne swerd takith hym, it may not stonde, nethir spere, nether haburioun.
The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.
27 For he schal arette irun as chaffis, and bras as rotun tre.
He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
28 A man archere schal not dryue hym awei; stoonys of a slynge ben turned in to stobil to hym.
No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him.
29 He schal arette an hamer as stobil; and he schal scorne a florischynge spere.
A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.
30 The beemys of the sunne schulen be vndur hym; and he schal strewe to hym silf gold as cley.
His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He schal make the depe se to buyle as a pot; and he schal putte, as whanne oynementis buylen.
He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
32 A path schal schyne aftir hym; he schal gesse the greet occian as wexynge eld.
He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair!
33 No power is on erthe, that schal be comparisound to hym; which is maad, that he schulde drede noon.
Nothing on earth is his equal— a creature devoid of fear!
34 He seeth al hiy thing; he is kyng ouer alle the sones of pride.
He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all the proud.”