< Job 41 >

1 Canst thou draw out the leviathan with a hook, or canst thou tie his tongue with a cord?
Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Canst thou put a ring in his nose, or bore through his jaw with a buckle?
Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Will he make many supplications to thee, or speak soft words to thee?
Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee, and wilt thou take him to be a servant for ever?
Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?
5 Shalt thou play with him as with a bird, or tie him up for thy handmaids?
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6 Shall friends cut him in pieces, shall merchants divide him?
Will the bands [of fishermen] make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants?
7 Wilt thou fill nets with his skin, and the cabins of fishes with his head?
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?
8 Lay thy hand upon him: remember the battle, and speak no more.
Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9 Behold his hope shall fail him, and in the sight of all he shall be cast down.
Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 I will not stir him up, like one that is cruel: for who can resist my countenance?
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me?
11 Who hath given me before that I should repay him? All things that are under heaven are mine.
Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine.
12 I will not spare him, nor his mighty words, and framed to make supplication.
I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can go into the midst of his mouth?
Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
15 His body is like molten shields, shut close up with scales pressing upon one another.
[His] strong scales are [his] pride, Shut up together [as with] a close seal.
16 One is joined to another, and not so much as any air can come between them:
One is so near to another, That no air can come between them.
17 They stick one to another and they hold one another fast, and shall not be separated.
They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered.
18 His sneezing is like the shining of fire, and his eyes like the eyelids of the morning.
His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go forth lamps, like torches of lighted fire.
Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, like that of a pot heated and boiling.
Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, As of a boiling pot and [burning] rushes.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh forth out of his mouth.
His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck strength shall dwell, and want goeth before his face.
In his neck abideth strength, And terror danceth before him.
23 The members of his flesh cleave one to another: he shall send lightnings against him, and they shall not be carried to another place.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved.
24 His heart shall be as hard as a stone, and as firm as a smith’s anvil.
His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone.
25 When he shall raise him up, the angels shall fear, and being affrighted shall purify themselves.
When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.
26 When a sword shall lay at him, it shall not be able to hold, nor a spear, nor a breastplate.
If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27 For he shall esteem iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
He counteth iron as straw, [And] brass as rotten wood.
28 The archer shall not put him to flight, the stones of the sling are to him like stubble.
The arrow cannot make him flee: Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble.
29 As stubble will he esteem the hammer, and he will laugh him to scorn who shaketh the spear.
Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.
30 The beams of the sun shall be under him, and he shall strew gold under him like mire.
His underparts are [like] sharp potsherds: He spreadeth [as it were] a threshing-wain upon the mire.
31 He shall make the deep sea to boil like a pot, and shall make it as when ointments boil.
He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 A path shall shine after him, he shall esteem the deep as growing old.
He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary.
33 There is no power upon earth that can be compared with him who was made to fear no one.
Upon earth there is not his like, That is made without fear.
34 He beholdeth every high thing, he is king over all the children of pride.
He beholdeth everything that is high: He is king over all the sons of pride.

< Job 41 >