Job 41

1 “Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?

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

2 Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?

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

3 Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?

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

4 Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life?

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

5 Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?

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

6 Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?

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

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

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

8 If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!

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

9 Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?

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

10 No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan. Then who is able to stand against Me?

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

11 Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.

11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form.

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

13 Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle?

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

14 Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

15 His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together.

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

16 One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.

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

17 They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.

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

18 His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.

18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth!

19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

20 Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.

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

21 His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.

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

22 Strength resides in his neck, and dismay leaps before him.

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

23 The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.

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

24 His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!

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

25 When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing.

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

26 The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.

26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

27 He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.

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

28 No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him.

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

29 A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.

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

30 His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.

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

31 He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.

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

32 He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair!

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

33 Nothing on earth is his equal—a creature devoid of fear!

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

34 He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all the proud.”

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