איוב 41

1 תמשך לויתן בחכה ובחבל תשקיע לשנו׃

But will you catch the serpent with a hook, and put a halter about his nose?

2 התשים אגמון באפו ובחוח תקוב לחיו׃

Or will you fasten a ring in his nostril, and bore his lip with a clasp?

3 הירבה אליך תחנונים אם ידבר אליך רכות׃

Will he address you with a petition? softly, with the voice of a suppliant?

4 היכרת ברית עמך תקחנו לעבד עולם׃

And will he make a covenant with you? and will you take him for a perpetual servant?

5 התשחק בו כצפור ותקשרנו לנערותיך׃

And will you play with him as with a bird? or bind him as a sparrow for a child?

6 יכרו עליו חברים יחצוהו בין כנענים׃

And do the nations feed upon him, and the nations of the Phoenicians share him?

7 התמלא בשכות עורו ובצלצל דגים ראשו׃

And all the ships come together would not be able to bear the mere skin of his tail; neither [shall they carry] his head in fishing vessels.

8 שים עליו כפך זכר מלחמה אל תוסף׃

But you shall lay your hand upon him [once], remembering the war that is waged by his mouth; and let it not be done any more.

9 הן תחלתו נכזבה הגם אל מראיו יטל׃

Hast you not seen him? and have you not wondered at the things said [of him]?

10 לא אכזר כי יעורנו ומי הוא לפני יתיצב׃

Do you not fear because preparation has been made by me? for who is there that resists me?

11 מי הקדימני ואשלם תחת כל השמים לי הוא׃

Or who will resist me, and abide, since the whole [world] under heaven is mine?

12 לא אחריש בדיו ודבר גבורות וחין ערכו׃

I will not be silent because of him: though because of his power [one] shall pity his antagonist.

13 מי גלה פני לבושו בכפל רסנו מי יבוא׃

Who will open the face of his garment? and who can enter within the fold of his breastplate?

14 דלתי פניו מי פתח סביבות שניו אימה׃

Who will open the doors of his face? terror is round about his teeth.

15 גאוה אפיקי מגנים סגור חותם צר׃

His inwards are as brazen plates, and the texture of his [skin] as a smyrite stone.

16 אחד באחד יגשו ורוח לא יבוא ביניהם׃

One [part] cleaves fast to another, and the air can’t come between them.

17 איש באחיהו ידבקו יתלכדו ולא יתפרדו׃

They will remain united each to the other: they are closely joined, and can’t be separated.

18 עטישתיו תהל אור ועיניו כעפעפי שחר׃

At his sneezing a light shines, and his eyes are [as] the appearance of the morning star.

19 מפיו לפידים יהלכו כידודי אש יתמלטו׃

Out of his mouth proceed as it were burning lamps, and as it were hearths of fire are cast abroad.

20 מנחיריו יצא עשן כדוד נפוח ואגמן׃

Out of his nostrils proceeds smoke of a furnace burning with fire of coals.

21 נפשו גחלים תלהט ולהב מפיו יצא׃

His breath is [as] live coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.

22 בצוארו ילין עז ולפניו תדוץ דאבה׃

And power is lodged in his neck, before him destruction runs.

23 מפלי בשרו דבקו יצוק עליו בל ימוט׃

The flesh also of his body is joined together: [if one] pours [violence] upon him, he shall not be moved.

24 לבו יצוק כמו אבן ויצוק כפלח תחתית׃

His heart is firm as a stone, and it stands like an unyielding anvil.

25 משתו יגורו אלים משברים יתחטאו׃

And when he turns, [he is] a terror to the four-footed wild beasts which leap upon the earth.

26 משיגהו חרב בלי תקום חנית מסע ושריה׃

If spears should come against him, [men] will effect nothing, [either with] the spear or the breast-plate.

27 יחשב לתבן ברזל לעץ רקבון נחושה׃

For he considers iron as chaff, and brass as rotten wood.

28 לא יבריחנו בן קשת לקש נהפכו לו אבני קלע׃

The bow of brass shall not would him, he deems a slinger as grass.

29 כקש נחשבו תותח וישחק לרעש כידון׃

Mauls are counted as stubble; and he laughs to scorn the waving of the firebrand.

30 תחתיו חדודי חרש ירפד חרוץ עלי טיט׃

His lair is [formed of] sharp points; and all the gold of the sea under him is an immense [quantity of] clay.

31 ירתיח כסיר מצולה ים ישים כמרקחה׃

He makes the deep boil like a brazen cauldron; and he regards the sea as a pot of ointment,

32 אחריו יאיר נתיב יחשב תהום לשיבה׃

and the lowest part of the deep as a captive: he reckons the deep as [his] range.

33 אין על עפר משלו העשו לבלי חת׃

There is nothing upon the earth like to him, formed to be sported with by my angels.

34 את כל גבה יראה הוא מלך על כל בני שחץ׃

He beholds every high thing: and he is king of all that are in the waters.