Job 41
1 Wilt thou draw out the leviathan with the hook, and press down his tongue with a cord?
Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth?
2 Wilt thou put a rush-rope into his nose, and pierce his jaw with a spike?
Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? or will he speak softly unto thee?
Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him as a bondman for ever?
Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, and wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
6 Shall partners make traffic of him, will they divide him among merchants?
Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
7 Wilt thou fill his skin with darts, and his head with fish-spears?
Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
8 Lay thy hand upon him; remember the battle, — do no more!
Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
9 Lo, hope as to him is belied: is not one cast down even at the sight of him?
Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
10 None is so bold as to stir him up; and who is he that will stand before me?
He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me?
11 Who hath first given to me, that I should repay [him]? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine.
Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
12 I will not be silent as to his parts, the story of his power, and the beauty of his structure.
I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame.
13 Who can uncover the surface of his garment? who can come within his double jaws?
Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
15 The rows of his shields are a pride, shut up together [as with] a close seal.
His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
16 One is so near to another that no air can come between them;
One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
17 They are joined each to its fellow; they stick together, and cannot be sundered.
They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
18 His sneezings flash light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go forth flames; sparks of fire leap out:
Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a boiling pot and cauldron.
Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 In his neck lodgeth strength, and terror danceth before him.
Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are fused upon him, they cannot be moved.
The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.
24 His heart is firm as a stone, yea, firm as the nether [millstone].
His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
25 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: they are beside themselves with consternation.
When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
26 If any reach him with a sword, it cannot hold; neither spear, nor dart, nor harpoon.
The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron.
27 He esteemeth iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.
Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
28 The arrow will not make him flee; slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.
A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
30 His under parts are sharp potsherds: he spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire.
Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment;
The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
32 He maketh the path to shine after him: one would think the deep to be hoary.
After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
34 He beholdeth all high things; he is king over all the proud beasts.
Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
