Job 41
1 Can you draw out leviathan (sea serpent) with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which you let down?
“Do you draw leviathan with a hook? And do you let down his tongue with a rope?
2 Can you put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
Do you put a reed in his nose? And pierce his jaw with a thorn?
3 Will he make many supplications unto you? will he speak soft words unto you?
Does he multiply supplications to you? Does he speak tender things to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with you? will you take him for a servant for ever?
Does he make a covenant with you? Do you take him for a perpetual servant?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird? or will you bind him for your maidens?
Do you play with him as a bird? And do you bind him for your girls?
6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
(Companions feast on him, They divide him among the merchants!)
7 Can you fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
Do you fill his skin with barbed irons? And his head with fish-spears?
8 Lay your hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
Place your hand on him, Remember the battle—do not add!
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
Behold, the hope of him is found a liar, Also, is one not cast down at his appearance?
10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
None so fierce that he awakes him, And who [is] he [who] stations himself before Me?
11 Who has prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
Who has brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it [is] Mine.
12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement.
13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
Who has uncovered the face of his clothing? Who enters within his double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
Who has opened the doors of his face? Around his teeth [are] terrible.
15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
A pride—strong ones of shields, Shut up—a close seal.
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
They draw near to one another, And air does not enter between them.
17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
They adhere to one another, They stick together and are not separated.
18 By his exhaling a light does shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes [are] as the eyelids of the dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
Flames go out of his mouth, sparks of fire escape.
20 Out of his nostrils goes smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
Smoke goes forth out of his nostrils, As a blown pot and reeds.
21 His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
His breath sets coals on fire, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck remains strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
Strength lodges in his neck, And grief exults before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
The flakes of his flesh have adhered—Firm on him—it is not moved.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
His heart [is] firm as a stone, Indeed, firm as the lower piece.
25 When he raises up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
The mighty are afraid at his rising, From his breakings they keep themselves free.
26 The sword of him that lays at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the armour of jacket.
The sword of his overtaker does not stand, Spear, dart, and breastplate.
27 He esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
He reckons iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: sling stones are turned with him into stubble.
The son of the bow does not cause him to flee, Stones of the sling are turned into stubble by him.
29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laughs at the shaking of a spear.
Darts have been reckoned as stubble, And he laughs at the shaking of a javelin.
30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreads sharp pointed things upon the mire.
Sharp points of clay [are] under him, He spreads gold on the mire.
31 He makes the deep to boil like a pot: he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
He causes the deep to boil as a pot, He makes the sea as a pot of ointment.
32 He makes a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
He causes a path to shine after him, One thinks the deep to be hoary.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror.
34 He beholds all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
He sees every high thing, He [is] king over all sons of pride.”
