Job 41

1Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

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

2Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

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

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

3Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words?

4Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?

4Will he make an agreement with you to serve you as a slave for life?

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

5Can you play with him like a bird or put him on a leash for your young women?

6Will the bands of fishermen make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants?

6Will traders try to buy him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?

7Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?

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

8Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.

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

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

9Any hope of subduing him is false; just the sight of him is enough to knock a person down.

10None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me?

10If no one is brave enough to stir him up, who then is able to stand against me?

11Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

11Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven belongs to me.

12I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.

12I will not stay silent about his limbs, his great strength, or his graceful form.

13Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?

13Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can pierce through his double armor?

14Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.

14Who dares to open the doors of his mouth? His teeth are terrifying all around.

15Hisstrong scales are his pride, Shut up together as with a close seal.

15His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together.

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

16They are so close to each other that no air can pass between them.

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

17They are joined to one another; they stick together and cannot be pulled apart.

18His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

18His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the red rays of dawn.

19Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth.

19Flaming torches shoot out of his mouth; sparks of fire fly out.

20Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, As of a boiling pot and burning rushes.

20Smoke pours out of his nostrils like steam from a boiling pot over burning reeds.

21His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.

21His breath sets coals on fire, and flames leap from his mouth.

22In his neck abideth strength, And terror danceth before him.

22Great strength lives in his neck; terror goes before him wherever he moves.

23The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved.

23The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and cannot be moved.

24His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone.

24His chest is as hard as a rock, as tough as a lower millstone.

25When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.

25When he rises up, even the mighty are terrified; they pull back because of his thrashing.

26If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.

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

27He counteth iron as straw, And brass as rotten wood.

27He treats iron like straw and bronze like rotten wood.

28The arrow cannot make him flee: Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble.

28Arrows do not make him run away; stones from a sling are like dry stalks to him.

29Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.

29A club strikes him like a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattle of a javelin.

30His underparts are like sharp potsherds: He spreadeth as it were a threshing-wain upon the mire.

30His underside is like sharp pieces of broken pottery; he leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing sled.

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

31He makes the deep water churn like a boiling pot; he stirs up the sea like a jar of ointment.

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

32He leaves a shining path behind him; you would think the ocean had white hair.

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

33Nothing on earth is his equal—a creature without fear.

34He beholdeth everything that is high: He is king over all the sons of pride.

34He looks down on all who are haughty; he is king over all proud animals.