41 “你岂能用鱼钩钓鳄鱼,
用绳索绑住它的舌头?
你岂能用绳子穿它的鼻子,
用钩子穿它的腮骨?
它岂会向你连连求饶,
对你说柔和的话?
它岂肯与你立约,
一生做你的奴隶?
你岂能拿它当小鸟玩耍,
或拴起来给幼女取乐?
渔夫们岂能把它当货物出售,
卖给商人?
你岂能在它皮上戳满长矛,
头上插满鱼叉?
你动手碰碰它,
就知道有何恶战,绝不会再碰。
企图捕捉它的都会失望,
人看到它就会心惊胆战。
10 再凶猛的人也不敢惹它。
这样,谁能在我面前站立得住?
11 谁给过我什么,要我偿还?
天下万物都是我的。

12 “论到它的四肢、大力和姣美的身体,
我不能缄默不言。
13 谁能剥去它的外皮?
谁能给它戴上辔头?
14 谁能打开它的口?
它的牙齿令人恐惧。
15 它的脊背覆着行行鳞甲,
牢牢地密封在一起,
16 紧密无间,
连气也透不进去。
17 鳞甲彼此相连相扣,
无法分开。
18 它打喷嚏时,水光四射;
它的眼睛发出晨光;
19 口中喷出火炬,
迸出火星;
20 鼻孔冒烟,
如沸腾的锅和燃烧的芦苇;
21 呼气可点燃煤炭,
口中喷出火焰;
22 颈项强而有力,
恐惧在它前面开路;
23 身上的皱褶紧密相连,
牢牢地密封在一起;
24 心坚如石,
硬如磨石。
25 它一站起来,勇士都害怕,
见它冲来,他们慌忙退缩。
26 刀剑挡不住它,
长矛、标枪、尖戟也无能为力。
27 它视铁如干草,
视铜如朽木。
28 利箭吓不跑它,
弹石在它看来只是碎秸;
29 棍棒无异于秸秆,
它嗤笑投来的标枪。
30 它腹部有锋利的瓦片,
在淤泥上留下道道耙痕。
31 它使深渊如锅翻腾,
大海如油锅滚动。
32 它游过后留下一道波光,
使深渊仿佛披上银发。
33 地上没有动物能与它相比,
像它那样无所畏惧。
34 它藐视群雄,
在高傲的百兽中称王。”

God’s Power in the Leviathan

41 “Can you draw out (A)Leviathan[a] with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
Can you (B)put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a [b]hook?
Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
Will your companions [c]make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10 No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
11 (C)Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
(D)Everything under heaven is Mine.

12 “I will not [d]conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
13 Who can [e]remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
15 His rows of [f]scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
16 One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
17 They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Strength dwells in his neck,
And [g]sorrow dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they [h]are beside themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
27 He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
29 Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
33 On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
34 He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 41:1 A large sea creature, exact identity unknown
  2. Job 41:2 thorn
  3. Job 41:6 Or bargain over him
  4. Job 41:12 Lit. keep silent about
  5. Job 41:13 Lit. take off the face of his garment
  6. Job 41:15 Lit. shields
  7. Job 41:22 despair
  8. Job 41:25 Or purify themselves

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

41 [a] “Can you draw out (A)Leviathan[b] with a fishhook
    or press down his tongue with a cord?
Can you put (B)a rope in his nose
    or pierce his jaw with (C)a hook?
Will he make many pleas to you?
    Will he speak to you soft words?
Will he make a covenant with you
    to take him for (D)your servant forever?
Will you play with him as with a bird,
    or will you put him on a leash for your girls?
Will traders bargain over him?
    Will they divide him up among the merchants?
Can you fill his skin with harpoons
    or his head with fishing spears?
Lay your hands on him;
    remember the battle—you will not do it again!
[c] Behold, the hope of a man is false;
    he is laid low even at the sight of him.
10 No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.
    Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 (E)Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
    (F)Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
    or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.
13 Who can strip off his outer garment?
    Who would come near him with a bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face?
    Around his teeth is terror.
15 His back is made of[d] rows of shields,
    shut up closely as with a seal.
16 One is so near to another
    that no air can come between them.
17 They are (G)joined one to another;
    they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
    and his eyes are like (H)the eyelids of the dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go flaming torches;
    sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke,
    as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath (I)kindles coals,
    and a flame comes forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck abides strength,
    and terror dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh (J)stick together,
    firmly cast on him and immovable.
24 His heart is hard as a stone,
    hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty[e] are afraid;
    at the crashing they are beside themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail,
    nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 He counts iron as straw,
    and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
    for him, sling stones are turned to stubble.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble;
    he laughs at the rattle of javelins.
30 His underparts are like sharp (K)potsherds;
    he spreads himself like (L)a threshing sledge on the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
    he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 Behind him he leaves a shining wake;
    one would think the deep to be white-haired.
33 (M)On earth there is not his like,
    a creature without fear.
34 He sees everything that is high;
    he is king over all the (N)sons of pride.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Hebrew
  2. Job 41:1 A large sea animal, exact identity uncertain
  3. Job 41:9 Ch 41:1 in Hebrew
  4. Job 41:15 Or His pride is in his
  5. Job 41:25 Or gods