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41 Dost thou draw leviathan with an angle? And with a rope thou lettest down -- his tongue?

Dost thou put a reed in his nose? And with a thorn pierce his jaw?

Doth he multiply unto thee supplications? Doth he speak unto thee tender things?

Doth he make a covenant with thee? Dost thou take him for a servant age-during?

Dost thou play with him as a bird? And dost thou bind him for thy damsels?

(Feast upon him do companions, They divide him among the merchants!)

Dost thou fill with barbed irons his skin? And with fish-spears his head?

Place on him thy hand, Remember the battle -- do not add!

Lo, the hope of him is found a liar, Also at his appearance is not one cast down?

10 None so fierce that he doth awake him, And who [is] he before Me stationeth himself?

11 Who hath brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it [is] mine.

12 I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement.

13 Who hath uncovered the face of his clothing? Within his double bridle who doth enter?

14 The doors of his face who hath opened? Round about his teeth [are] terrible.

15 A pride -- strong ones of shields, Shut up -- a close seal.

16 One unto another they draw nigh, And air doth not enter between them.

17 One unto another they adhere, They stick together and are not separated.

18 His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes [are] as the eyelids of the dawn.

19 Out of his mouth do flames go, sparks of fire escape.

20 Out of his nostrils goeth forth smoke, As a blown pot and reeds.

21 His breath setteth coals on fire, And a flame from his mouth goeth forth.

22 In his neck lodge doth strength, And before him doth grief exult.

23 The flakes of his flesh have adhered -- Firm upon him -- it is not moved.

24 His heart [is] firm as a stone, Yea, firm as the lower piece.

25 From his rising are the mighty afraid, From breakings they keep themselves free.

26 The sword of his overtaker standeth not, Spear -- dart -- and lance.

27 He reckoneth iron as straw, brass as rotten wood.

28 The son of the bow doth not cause him to flee, Turned by him into stubble are stones of the sling.

29 As stubble have darts been reckoned, And he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.

30 Under him [are] sharp points of clay, He spreadeth gold on the mire.

31 He causeth to boil as a pot the deep, The sea he maketh as a pot of ointment.

32 After him he causeth a path to shine, One thinketh the deep to be hoary.

33 There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror.

34 Every high thing he doth see, He [is] king over all sons of pride.

41 [a]“Can you pull in Leviathan(A) with a fishhook(B)
    or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose(C)
    or pierce its jaw with a hook?(D)
Will it keep begging you for mercy?(E)
    Will it speak to you with gentle words?
Will it make an agreement with you
    for you to take it as your slave for life?(F)
Can you make a pet of it like a bird
    or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
Will traders barter for it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its hide with harpoons
    or its head with fishing spears?(G)
If you lay a hand on it,
    you will remember the struggle and never do it again!(H)
Any hope of subduing it is false;
    the mere sight of it is overpowering.(I)
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.(J)
    Who then is able to stand against me?(K)
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?(L)
    Everything under heaven belongs to me.(M)

12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,(N)
    its strength(O) and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of armor[b]?(P)
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,(Q)
    ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has[c] rows of shields
    tightly sealed together;(R)
16 each is so close to the next
    that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
    they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.(S)
19 Flames(T) stream from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils(U)
    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath(V) sets coals ablaze,
    and flames dart from its mouth.(W)
22 Strength(X) resides in its neck;
    dismay goes before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
    they are firm and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock,
    hard as a lower millstone.(Y)
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;(Z)
    they retreat before its thrashing.(AA)
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
    nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.(AB)
27 Iron it treats like straw(AC)
    and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;(AD)
    slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;(AE)
    it laughs(AF) at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
    leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.(AG)
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron(AH)
    and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.(AI)
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
    one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal(AJ)
    a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;(AK)
    it is king over all that are proud.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Job 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-8 is numbered 40:25-32, and 41:9-34 is numbered 41:1-26.
  2. Job 41:13 Septuagint; Hebrew double bridle
  3. Job 41:15 Or Its pride is its