Job

The book of Job, chapter 41, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 41 New English Translation

The Description of Leviathan

   1 (25) "Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook, and tie down its tongue with a rope?
   2 Can you put a cord through its nose, or pierce its jaw with a hook?
   3 Will it make numerous supplications to you, will it speak to you with tender words?
   4 Will it make a pact with you, so you could take it as your slave for life?
   5 Can you play with it, like a bird, or tie it on a leash for your girls?
   6 Will partners bargain for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants?
   7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons or its head with fishing spears?
   8 If you lay your hand on it, you will remember the fight, and you will never do it again!
   9 (1) See, his expectation is wrong, he is laid low even at the sight of it.
   10 Is it not fierce when it is awakened? Who is he, then, who can stand before it?
   11 (Who has confronted me that I should repay? Everything under heaven belongs to me!)
   12 I will not keep silent about its limbs, and the extent of its might, and the grace of its arrangement.
   13 Who can uncover its outer covering? Who can penetrate to the inside of its armor?
   14 Who can open the doors of its mouth? Its teeth all around are fearsome.
   15 Its back has rows of shields, shut up closely together as with a seal;
   16 each one is so close to the next that no air can come between them.
   17 They lock tightly together, one to the next; they cling together and cannot be separated.
   18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light; its eyes are like the red glow of dawn.
   19 Out of its mouth go flames, sparks of fire shoot forth!
   20 Smoke streams from its nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning rushes.
   21 Its breath sets coals ablaze and a flame shoots from its mouth.
   22 Strength lodges in its neck, and despair runs before it.
   23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined; they are firm on it, immovable.
   24 Its heart is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone.
   25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified, at its thrashing about they withdraw.
   26 Whoever strikes it with a sword will have no effect, nor with the spear, arrow, or dart.
   27 It regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
   28 Arrows do not make it flee; slingstones become like chaff to it.
   29 A club is counted as a piece of straw; it laughs at the rattling of the lance.
   30 Its underparts are the sharp points of potsherds, it leaves its mark in the mud like a threshing sledge.
   31 It makes the deep boil like a cauldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment,
   32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it; one would think the deep had a head of white hair.
   33 The likes of it is not on earth, a creature without fear.
   34 It looks on every haughty being; it is king over all that are proud."

King James Version

   1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
   2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
   3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
   4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
   5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
   6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
   7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
   8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
   9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
   10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
   11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
   12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
   13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
   14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
   15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
   16 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.
   18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
   19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
   20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
   21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
   22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
   23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
   24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
   25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
   26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
   27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
   28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
   29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
   30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
   31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
   32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
   33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
   34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.