Job 41
1 Dost thou draw leviathan with an angle? And with a rope thou lettest down — his tongue?
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Dost thou put a reed in his nose? And with a thorn pierce his jaw?
Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Doth he multiply unto thee supplications? Doth he speak unto thee tender things?
Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
4 Doth he make a covenant with thee? Dost thou take him for a servant age-during?
Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
5 Dost thou play with him as a bird? And dost thou bind him for thy damsels?
Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
6 (Feast upon him do companions, They divide him among the merchants!)
Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?
7 Dost thou fill with barbed irons his skin? And with fish-spears his head?
Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?
8 Place on him thy hand, Remember the battle — do not add!
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9 Lo, the hope of him is found a liar, Also at his appearance is not one cast down?
Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 None so fierce that he doth awake him, And who [is] he before Me stationeth himself?
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 Who hath brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it [is] mine.
Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.
12 I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement.
“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Who hath uncovered the face of his clothing? Within his double bridle who doth enter?
Who can strip off his outer garment? Who will come within his jaws?
14 The doors of his face who hath opened? Round about his teeth [are] terrible.
Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
15 A pride — strong ones of shields, Shut up — a close seal.
Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.
16 One unto another they draw nigh, And air doth not enter between them.
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17 One unto another they adhere, They stick together and are not separated.
They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.
18 His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes [are] as the eyelids of the dawn.
His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth do flames go, sparks of fire escape.
Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth forth smoke, As a blown pot and reeds.
Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
21 His breath setteth coals on fire, And a flame from his mouth goeth forth.
His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.
22 In his neck lodge doth strength, And before him doth grief exult.
There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh have adhered — Firm upon him — it is not moved.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved.
24 His heart [is] firm as a stone, Yea, firm as the lower piece.
His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
25 From his rising are the mighty afraid, From breakings they keep themselves free.
When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
26 The sword of his overtaker standeth not, Spear — dart — and lance.
If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27 He reckoneth iron as straw, brass as rotten wood.
He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The son of the bow doth not cause him to flee, Turned by him into stubble are stones of the sling.
The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
29 As stubble have darts been reckoned, And he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.
Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
30 Under him [are] sharp points of clay, He spreadeth gold on the mire.
His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He causeth to boil as a pot the deep, The sea he maketh as a pot of ointment.
He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 After him he causeth a path to shine, One thinketh the deep to be hoary.
He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.
33 There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror.
On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.
34 Every high thing he doth see, He [is] king over all sons of pride.
He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”
