< איוב 41 >
תִּמְשֹׁךְ לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה וּבְחֶבֶל תַּשְׁקִיעַ לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃ | 1 |
“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?
הֲתָשִׂים אַגְמוֹן בְּאַפּוֹ וּבְחוֹחַ תִּקּוֹב לֶֽחֱיוֹ׃ | 2 |
Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
הֲיַרְבֶּה אֵלֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִים אִם־יְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ רַכּֽוֹת׃ | 3 |
Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
הֲיִכְרֹת בְּרִית עִמָּךְ תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לְעֶבֶד עוֹלָֽם׃ | 4 |
Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life?
הֽ͏ַתְשַׂחֶק־בּוֹ כַּצִּפּוֹר וְתִקְשְׁרֶנּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ | 5 |
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
יִכְרוּ עָלָיו חַבָּרִים יֶחֱצוּהוּ בֵּין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃ | 6 |
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
הַֽתְמַלֵּא בְשֻׂכּוֹת עוֹרוֹ וּבְצִלְצַל דָּגִים רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ | 7 |
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
שִׂים־עָלָיו כַּפֶּךָ זְכֹר מִלְחָמָה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף׃ | 8 |
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!
הֵן־תֹּחַלְתּוֹ נִכְזָבָה הֲגַם אֶל־מַרְאָיו יֻטָֽל׃ | 9 |
Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?
לֹֽא־אַכְזָר כִּי יְעוּרֶנּוּ וּמִי הוּא לְפָנַי יִתְיַצָּֽב׃ | 10 |
No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan. Then who is able to stand against Me?
מִי הִקְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּם תַּחַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם לִי־הֽוּא׃ | 11 |
Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
לא־לֽוֹ־אַחֲרִישׁ בַּדָּיו וּדְבַר־גְּבוּרוֹת וְחִין עֶרְכּֽוֹ׃ | 12 |
I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form.
מִֽי־גִלָּה פְּנֵי לְבוּשׁוֹ בְּכֶפֶל רִסְנוֹ מִי יָבֽוֹא׃ | 13 |
Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle?
דַּלְתֵי פָנָיו מִי פִתֵּחַ סְבִיבוֹת שִׁנָּיו אֵימָֽה׃ | 14 |
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
גַּאֲוָה אֲפִיקֵי מָֽגִנִּים סָגוּר חוֹתָם צָֽר׃ | 15 |
His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together.
אֶחָד בְּאֶחָד יִגַּשׁוּ וְרוּחַ לֹא־יָבוֹא בֵֽינֵיהֶֽם׃ | 16 |
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.
אִישׁ־בְּאָחִיהוּ יְדֻבָּקוּ יִתְלַכְּדוּ וְלֹא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃ | 17 |
They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
עֲֽטִישֹׁתָיו תָּהֶל אוֹר וְעֵינָיו כְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃ | 18 |
His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
מִפִּיו לַפִּידִים יַהֲלֹכוּ כִּידוֹדֵי אֵשׁ יִתְמַלָּֽטוּ׃ | 19 |
Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth!
מִנְּחִירָיו יֵצֵא עָשָׁן כְּדוּד נָפוּחַ וְאַגְמֹֽן׃ | 20 |
Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
נַפְשׁוֹ גֶּחָלִים תְּלַהֵט וְלַהַב מִפִּיו יֵצֵֽא׃ | 21 |
His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.
בְּֽצַוָּארוֹ יָלִין עֹז וּלְפָנָיו תָּדוּץ דְּאָבָֽה׃ | 22 |
Strength resides in his neck, and dismay leaps before him.
מַפְּלֵי בְשָׂרוֹ דָבֵקוּ יָצוּק עָלָיו בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃ | 23 |
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
לִבּוֹ יָצוּק כְּמוֹ־אָבֶן וְיָצוּק כְּפֶלַח תַּחְתִּֽית׃ | 24 |
His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!
מִשֵּׂתוֹ יָגוּרוּ אֵלִים מִשְּׁבָרִים יִתְחַטָּֽאוּ׃ | 25 |
When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing.
מַשִּׂיגֵהוּ חֶרֶב בְּלִי תָקוּם חֲנִית מַסָּע וְשִׁרְיָֽה׃ | 26 |
The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.
יַחְשֹׁב לְתֶבֶן בַּרְזֶל לְעֵץ רִקָּבוֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ | 27 |
He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
לֹֽא־יַבְרִיחֶנּוּ בֶן־קָשֶׁת לְקַשׁ נֶהְפְּכוּ־לוֹ אַבְנֵי־קָֽלַע׃ | 28 |
No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him.
כְּקַשׁ נֶחְשְׁבוּ תוֹתָח וְיִשְׂחַק לְרַעַשׁ כִּידֽוֹן׃ | 29 |
A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.
תַּחְתָּיו חַדּוּדֵי חָרֶשׂ יִרְפַּד חָרוּץ עֲלֵי־טִֽיט׃ | 30 |
His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.
יַרְתִּיחַ כַּסִּיר מְצוּלָה יָם יָשִׂים כַּמֶּרְקָחָֽה׃ | 31 |
He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
אַחֲרָיו יָאִיר נָתִיב יַחְשֹׁב תְּהוֹם לְשֵׂיבָֽה׃ | 32 |
He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair!
אֵֽין־עַל־עָפָר מָשְׁלוֹ הֶעָשׂוּ לִבְלִי־חָֽת׃ | 33 |
Nothing on earth is his equal— a creature devoid of fear!
אֵֽת־כָּל־גָּבֹהַּ יִרְאֶה הוּא מֶלֶךְ עַל־כָּל־בְּנֵי־שָֽׁחַץ׃ | 34 |
He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all the proud.”