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41 [a]“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook
    or press down its tongue with a cord?(A)
Can you put a rope in its nose
    or pierce its jaw with a hook?(B)
Will it make many supplications to you?
    Will it speak soft words to you?
Will it make a covenant with you
    to be taken as your servant forever?
Will you play with it as with a bird
    or put it on a leash for your young women?
Will traders bargain over it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its skin with harpoons
    or its head with fishing spears?
Lay hands on it;
    think of the battle; you will not do it again!
[b]Any hope of capturing it[c] will be disappointed;
    one is overwhelmed even at the sight of it.
10 No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up.
    Who can stand before it?[d](C)
11 Who can confront it[e] and be safe?[f]
    —under the whole heaven, who?[g](D)

12 “I will not keep silent concerning its limbs
    or its mighty strength or its splendid frame.
13 Who can strip off its outer garment?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of mail?[h]
14 Who can open the doors of its face?
    There is terror all around its teeth.
15 Its back[i] is made of shields in rows,
    shut up closely as with a seal.
16 One is so near to another
    that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another;
    they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 Its sneezes flash forth light,
    and its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.(E)
19 From its mouth go flaming torches;
    sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of its nostrils comes smoke,
    as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 Its breath kindles coals,
    and a flame comes out of its mouth.
22 In its neck abides strength,
    and terror dances before it.
23 The folds of its flesh cling together;
    it is firmly cast and immovable.
24 Its heart is as hard as stone,
    as hard as the lower millstone.
25 When it raises itself up the gods are afraid;
    at the crashing they are beside themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches it, it does not avail,
    nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 It counts iron as straw
    and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make it flee;
    slingstones, for it, are turned to chaff.
29 Clubs are counted as chaff;
    it laughs at the rattle of javelins.
30 Its underparts are like sharp potsherds;
    it spreads itself like a threshing sledge on the mire.
31 It makes the deep boil like a pot;
    it makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 It leaves a shining wake behind it;
    one would think the deep to be white-haired.
33 On earth it has no equal,
    a creature without fear.(F)
34 It surveys everything that is lofty;
    it is king over all that are proud.”

Footnotes

  1. 41.1 40.25 in Heb
  2. 41.9 41.1 in Heb
  3. 41.9 Heb of it
  4. 41.10 Heb me
  5. 41.11 Heb me
  6. 41.11 Gk: Heb that I shall repay
  7. 41.11 Heb to me
  8. 41.13 Gk: Heb bridle
  9. 41.15 Cn Compare Gk Vg: Heb pride

God’s Power Shown in Creatures

41 [a]Can you drag out [b](A)Leviathan with a fishhook,
And press down his tongue with a rope?
Can you (B)put a [c]rope in his nose,
And pierce his jaw with a [d]hook?
Will he make many pleas to you,
Or will he speak to you gentle words?
Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
Will you play with him as with a bird,
And tie him down for your young girls?
Will the [e]traders bargain for him?
Will they divide 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; [f]you will not do it again!
[g]Behold, [h]your expectation is false;
Will [i]you be hurled down even at the sight of him?
10 No one is so reckless that he dares to (C)stir him;
Who then is he who opposes Me?
11 Who has (D)been first to give to Me, that I should repay him?
Whatever is (E)under the entire heaven is Mine.

12 “I will not be silent about his limbs,
Or his mighty strength, or his graceful frame.
13 Who can [j]strip off his outer covering?
Who can [k]pierce his double [l]armor?
14 Who can open the doors of his face?
Around his teeth there is terror.
15 His [m]strong scales are his pride,
Locked as with a tight seal.
16 One is so close to another
That no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another;
They clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the (F)eye of dawn.
19 From his mouth go burning torches;
Sparks of fire leap forth.
20 From his nostrils smoke goes out
As from a boiling pot and burning reeds.
21 His breath sets coals aglow,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck dwells strength,
And dismay leaps before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm and immovable on him.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone,
And as firm as a lower millstone.
25 When he rises up, the [n]mighty are afraid;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.
26 The sword that reaches him cannot [o]prevail,
Nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 He regards iron as straw,
Bronze as rotten wood.
28 The [p]arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones are turned into stubble for him.
29 Clubs are regarded as stubble;
He laughs at the rattling of the javelin.
30 His underparts are like sharp pieces of pottery;
He [q]spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mud.
31 He makes the depths boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
32 Behind him he illuminates a pathway;
One would think the deep to be gray-haired.
33 (G)Nothing on [r]earth is like him,
One made without fear.
34 [s]He looks on everything that is high;
He is king over all the (H)sons of pride.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Heb
  2. Job 41:1 I.e., a sea monster or crocodile
  3. Job 41:2 Lit rope of rushes
  4. Job 41:2 Or thorn; or ring
  5. Job 41:6 Lit partners
  6. Job 41:8 Lit do not add
  7. Job 41:9 Ch 41:1 in Heb
  8. Job 41:9 Lit his
  9. Job 41:9 Lit he
  10. Job 41:13 Lit uncover the face of his garment
  11. Job 41:13 Lit come into
  12. Job 41:13 As in LXX; Heb bridle
  13. Job 41:15 Lit rows of shields
  14. Job 41:25 Or gods
  15. Job 41:26 Lit rise
  16. Job 41:28 Lit son of the bow
  17. Job 41:30 Or moves across
  18. Job 41:33 Lit dust
  19. Job 41:34 Ch 41:26 in Heb