Job 41

1 Canst thou draw out the leviathan with a hook, or canst thou tie his tongue with a cord?

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, 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?

Can you 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 petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?

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 you, that you should take him for a servant forever?

5 Shalt thou play with him as with a bird, or tie him up for thy handmaids?

Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?

6 Shall friends cut him in pieces, shall merchants divide him?

Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?

7 Wilt thou fill nets with his skin, and the cabins of fishes with his head?

Can you 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 your hand on 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. Won’t 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 who can stand before me?

11 Who hath given me before that I should repay him? All things that are under heaven are mine.

Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens 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 will 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? Around his teeth is terror.

15 His body is like molten shields, shut close up with scales pressing upon one another.

Strong scales are his pride, shut up together 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 to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.

18 His sneezing is like the shining of fire, and his eyes like the eyelids of the morning.

His sneezing flashes out light. 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. Sparks of fire leap out.

20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, like that of a pot heated and boiling.

Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh forth out of his mouth.

His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.

22 In his neck strength shall dwell, and want goeth before his face.

There is strength in his neck. Terror dances 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 on him. They can’t 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, yes, firm as the lower millstone.

25 When he shall raise him up, the angels shall fear, and being affrighted shall purify themselves.

When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.

26 When a sword shall lay at him, it shall not be able to hold, nor a spear, nor a breastplate.

If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.

27 For he shall esteem iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.

28 The archer shall not put him to flight, the stones of the sling are to him like stubble.

The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.

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 laughs 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 undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

31 He shall make the deep sea to boil like a pot, and shall make it as when ointments boil.

He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 A path shall shine after him, he shall esteem the deep as growing old.

He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.

33 There is no power upon earth that can be compared with him who was made to fear no one.

On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.

34 He beholdeth every high thing, he is king over all the children of pride.

He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”