Job 41

1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or tie up his jaws with a cord?

2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

3 Will he make many supplications to thee? will he speak soft words to thee?

Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak soft words to you?

4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?

5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

Will you play with him as you would with a bird? Will you tie him up for your servant girls?

6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?

Will the groups of fishermen bargain for him? Will they divide him up to trade among the merchants?

7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?

Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?

8 Lay thy hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

Put your hand on him just once, and you will remember the battle and do it no more.

9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

See, the hope of anyone who does that is a lie; will not anyone be thrown down to the ground just by the sight of him?

10 None is so fierce that he dare rouse him: who then is able to stand before me?

None is so fierce that he dare stir Leviathan up; who, then, is he who can stand before me?

11 Who hath given to me, that I should repay him? whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

Who has first given anything to me in order that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole sky is mine.

12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

I will not keep silent concerning Leviathan's legs, nor about the matter of his strength, nor about his graceful form.

13 Who can uncover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can penetrate his double armor?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror.

Who can open the doors of his face— ringed with his teeth, which are a terror?

15 His scales are his pride, shut together as with a close seal.

his back is made up of rows of shields, tight together as with a close seal.

16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

One is so near to another that no air can come between them.

17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

They are joined to each other; they stick together, so that they cannot be pulled apart.

18 His sneezes flash light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

Light flashes out from his snorting; his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning dawn.

19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire dart forth.

Out of his mouth go burning torches, sparks of fire leap out.

20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a boiling pot or caldron.

Out of his nostrils goes smoke like a boiling pot on a fire that has been fanned to be very hot.

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

His breath kindles coals into flame; fires go out from his mouth.

22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

In his neck is strength, and terror dances in front of him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

The folds of his flesh are joined together; they are firm on him; they cannot be moved.

24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the lower millstone.

His heart is as hard as a stone— indeed, as hard as a lower millstone.

25 When he raiseth himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of the crashing they purify themselves.

When he raises himself up, even the gods become afraid; because of fear, they draw back.

26 The sword of him that overtaketh him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the javelin.

If a sword strikes him, it does nothing— and neither does a spear, an arrow, or any other pointed weapon.

27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

He thinks of iron as if it were straw, and of bronze as if it were rotten wood.

28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

An arrow cannot make him flee; to him sling stones become chaff.

29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

Clubs are regarded as straw; he laughs at the whirring flight of a spear.

30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

His lower parts are like sharp pieces of broken pottery; he leaves a spreading trail in the mud as if he were a threshing sledge.

31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

He makes the deep to foam up like a pot of boiling water; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

He makes a shining wake behind him; one would think the deep had gray hair.

33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

On earth there is no equal to him, who has been made to live without fear.

34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

He sees everything that is proud; he is king over all the sons of pride.”