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41 Whether thou shalt be able to draw out Leviathan with an hook, and shalt bind with a rope his tongue? (Shalt thou be able to draw out this Leviathan with a hook, or bind his tongue with a rope?)

Whether thou shalt put a ring in his nostrils, either shalt pierce his cheek[bone] with an hook? (Shalt thou put a ring in his nostrils, or pierce his cheekbone with a hook?)

Whether he shall multiply prayers to thee, either shall speak soft things to thee? (Shall he say many prayers to thee, pleading and begging, or speak soft things to thee?)

Whether he shall make a covenant with thee, and shalt thou take him (for) a servant everlasting? (Shall he make a covenant with thee, and then shalt thou make him thy everlasting servant?)

Whether thou shalt scorn him as a bird, either shalt thou bind him to thine handmaidens? (Shalt thou scorn him like a bird, or shalt thou bind him up for thy servantesses?)

Shall friends carve him (up), shall merchants part him (among themselves)?

Whether thou shalt fill nets with his skin, and a fish basket with his head? (Shalt thou fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fish-hooks?)

Shalt thou put thine hand upon him? have thou mind of the battle, and add thou no more to speak (remember the battle, and add thou no more to speak about it).

Lo! his hope shall deceive him; and in the sight of all men he shall be cast down (and he shall be thrown down in front of all the people).

10 I not as cruel shall raise him; for who may against-stand my face? (Who would even dare raise up one who is so fierce? yea, who can stand before his face?)

11 And who gave to me before, that I yield to him? (And who ever gave anything to me, that I could give back to him?) All things, that be under heaven, be mine.

12 I shall not spare him for his mighty words, and made fair to beseech with. (And I shall not forget to speak of his limbs, his might, and his beautiful, or his comely, shape.)

13 Who shall show the face of his clothing, and who shall enter into the midst of his mouth? (Who shall open his outer clothing, or his hide? and who shall pass by the bridle of his mouth?)

14 Who shall open the gates of his cheer? fearedfulness is by the compass of his teeth. (Who shall open the gates of his face, or his lips? for terror cometh from his teeth.)

15 His body is as molten shields of brass, and joined together with scales overlaying themselves. (His body is like bronze shields, yea, scales joined together and overlaying each other.)

16 One is joined to another; and soothly breathing goeth not through those (and truly a breath cannot go between them).

17 One shall cleave to another, and those pieces holding together themselves shall not be parted. (One shall cleave to the other, and those pieces holding themselves together cannot be parted.)

18 His neesing is as (the) shining of fire, and his eyes be as (the) eyelids of the morrowtide. (His sneezing/His snorting sendeth out shots of lightning, and his eyes shine like the breaking of the day.)

19 Lights come forth of his mouth, as brands of fire, that be kindled. (Lightnings come forth from his mouth, like kindled firebrands.)

20 Smoke cometh forth of his nostrils, as a boiling pot set upon the fire. (Smoke cometh forth from his nostrils, like a boiling pot put on the fire.)

21 His breath maketh coals to burn, and (a) flame goeth out of his mouth.

22 Strength shall dwell in his neck, and neediness shall go (away from) before his face.

23 The members of his flesh be cleaving together to themselves; God shall send floods against him, and those shall not be borne over to another place.

24 His heart shall be made (as) hard as a stone; and it shall be constrained (al)together as the anvil of a smith (and it shall be firm and unyielding, like the anvil of a smith).

25 When he shall be taken away, angels shall dread; and they afeared shall be purged. (When he raiseth himself up, even the mighty shall be afraid; and they who be afraid shall be purged, or shall be purified.)

26 When sword taketh him, it may not stand, neither spear, neither habergeon. (And when a sword trieth to take him, it shall not succeed, nor a spear, nor a dagger.)

27 For he shall areckon iron as chaff, and brass as rotten wood (and bronze like rotten wood).

28 A man archer shall not drive him away; [the] stones of a sling be turned into stubble to him.

29 He shall areckon an hammer as stubble; and he shall scorn a flourishing spear (and he shall have scorn for the spear that is flourished, or shaken, at him).

30 The beams of the sun shall be under him; and he shall strew to himself gold as clay. (Sharp stones shall be under him; and he shall spread abroad pointed shards upon the clay.)

31 He shall make the deep sea to boil as a pot; and he shall put it, as when ointments boil.

32 A path shall shine after him; he shall guess the great ocean as waxing eld. (He maketh a path to shine after him; and the great ocean as if growing old, that is, white with foam.)

33 No power there is on earth, that shall be comparisoned to him; which is made, that he should dread nothing. (There is no power on earth, that can be compared to him; nothing which is made, that he should fear.)

34 He seeth all high thing[s]; he is king over all the 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