< Job 41 >

1 An extrahere poteris Leviathan hamo, et fune ligabis linguam ejus?
Canst thou draw forth the crocodile with a hook, Or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Numquid pones circulum in naribus ejus, aut armilla perforabis maxillam ejus?
Canst thou put a rope into his nose, Or pierce his cheek with a hook?
3 Numquid multiplicabit ad te preces, aut loquetur tibi mollia?
Will he make many entreaties to thee? Will he speak soft words to thee?
4 Numquid feriet tecum pactum, et accipies eum servum sempiternum?
Will he make a covenant with thee? Canst thou take him for a servant for ever?
5 Numquid illudes ei quasi avi, aut ligabis eum ancillis tuis?
Canst thou play with him, as with a bird? Or canst thou bind him for thy maidens?
6 Concident eum amici? divident illum negotiatores?
Do men in company lay snares for him? Do they divide him among the merchants?
7 Numquid implebis sagenas pelle ejus, et gurgustium piscium capite illius?
Canst thou fill his skirt with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?
8 Pone super eum manum tuam: memento belli, nec ultra addas loqui.
Do but lay thy hand upon him, —Thou wilt no more think of battle!
9 Ecce spes ejus frustrabitur eum, et videntibus cunctis præcipitabitur.
Behold, his hope is vain! Is he not cast down at the very sight of him?
10 Non quasi crudelis suscitabo eum: quis enim resistere potest vultui meo?
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me?
11 Quis ante dedit mihi, ut reddam ei? omnia quæ sub cælo sunt, mea sunt.
Who hath done me a favor, that I must repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12 Non parcam ei, et verbis potentibus, et ad deprecandum compositis.
I will not be silent concerning his limbs, And his strength, and the beauty of his armor.
13 Quis revelabit faciem indumenti ejus? et in medium oris ejus quis intrabit?
Who can uncover the surface of his garment? Who will approach his jaws?
14 Portas vultus ejus quis aperiet? per gyrum dentium ejus formido.
Who will open the doors of his face? The rows of his teeth are terrible!
15 Corpus illius quasi scuta fusilia, compactum squamis se prementibus.
His glory is his strong shields, United with each other, as with a close seal.
16 Una uni conjungitur, et ne spiraculum quidem incedit per eas.
They are joined one to another, So that no air can come between them.
17 Una alteri adhærebit, et tenentes se nequaquam separabuntur.
They cleave fast to each other, They hold together, and cannot be separated.
18 Sternutatio ejus splendor ignis, et oculi ejus ut palpebræ diluculi.
His sneezing sendeth forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelashes of the morning.
19 De ore ejus lampades procedunt, sicut tædæ ignis accensæ.
Out of his mouth go flames, And sparks of fire leap forth.
20 De naribus ejus procedit fumus, sicut ollæ succensæ atque ferventis.
From his nostrils issueth smoke, as from a heated pot, or caldron.
21 Halitus ejus prunas ardere facit, et flamma de ore ejus egreditur.
His breath kindleth coals, And flames issue from his mouth.
22 In collo ejus morabitur fortitudo, et faciem ejus præcedit egestas.
In his neck dwelleth strength, And terror danceth before him.
23 Membra carnium ejus cohærentia sibi: mittet contra eum fulmina, et ad locum alium non ferentur.
The flakes of his flesh cleave fast together; They are firm upon him, and cannot be moved.
24 Cor ejus indurabitur tamquam lapis, et stringetur quasi malleatoris incus.
His heart is solid like a stone; Yea, solid like the nether millstone.
25 Cum sublatus fuerit, timebunt angeli, et territi purgabuntur.
When he riseth up, the mighty are afraid; Yea, they lose themselves for terror.
26 Cum apprehenderit eum gladius, subsistere non poterit, neque hasta, neque thorax:
The sword of him that assaileth him doth not stand, The spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
27 reputabit enim quasi paleas ferrum, et quasi lignum putridum æs.
He regardeth iron as straw, And brass as rotten wood.
28 Non fugabit eum vir sagittarius: in stipulam versi sunt ei lapides fundæ.
The arrow cannot make him flee; Sling-stones to him become stubble;
29 Quasi stipulam æstimabit malleum, et deridebit vibrantem hastam.
Clubs are accounted by him as straw; He laugheth at the shaking of the spear.
30 Sub ipso erunt radii solis, et sternet sibi aurum quasi lutum.
Under him are sharp potsherds; He spreadeth out a thrashing-sledge upon the mire.
31 Fervescere faciet quasi ollam profundum mare, et ponet quasi cum unguenta bulliunt.
He maketh the deep to boil like a caldron; He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 Post eum lucebit semita: æstimabit abyssum quasi senescentem.
Behind him he leaveth a shining path; One would think the deep to be hoary.
33 Non est super terram potestas quæ comparetur ei, qui factus est ut nullum timeret.
Upon the earth there is not his master; He is made without fear.
34 Omne sublime videt: ipse est rex super universos filios superbiæ.
He looketh down upon all that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.

< Job 41 >