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Behold the Behemoth

15 “Behold now, [a]Behemoth, which (A)I made along with you;
It eats grass like an ox.
16 Behold now, its power in its loins
And its vigor in the muscles of its belly.
17 It hangs its tail like a cedar;
The sinews of its thighs are knit together.
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze;
Its [b]limbs are like bars of iron.

19 “It is the (B)first of the ways of God;
Let its (C)Maker bring near its sword.
20 Surely the mountains (D)bring it food,
And all the beasts of the field (E)play there.
21 Under the lotus plants it lies down,
In the hidden place of the reeds and the marsh.
22 The lotus plants cover it with [c]shade;
The willows of the brook surround it.
23 If a river oppresses, it is not alarmed;
It is secure, though the (F)Jordan bursts forth to its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it before its eyes,
With snares can anyone pierce its nose?

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Footnotes

  1. Job 40:15 Possibly the hippopotamus
  2. Job 40:18 Lit bones
  3. Job 40:22 Lit his shade

15 “Look, Behemoth,[a] which I have made just as I made you;
it eats grass like the ox.
16 Look, its strength is in its loins
and its power in the muscles of its stomach.
17 It keeps its tail straight like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.
18 Its bones are tubes of copper,
its limbs like rods of iron.
19 “It is the first of God’s actions;
the one who made him furnishes it with his sword.[b]
20 Yes, the mountains yield produce for it,
and all wild animals[c] play there.
21 Under the lotus tree it lies,
in the hiding place of the reeds and in the marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover it with their shade;
the wadi’s[d] poplar trees surround it.
23 Look, if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened;
it is confident even though the Jordan rushes against its mouth.
24 Can anyone take it by its eyes?
Can he pierce its nose with a snare?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Job 40:15 Some interpret as a hippopotamus
  2. Job 40:19 See NET; nearly all other English translations: “Only his Maker can draw the sword against him” (NJPS; compare NLT), or “only its Maker can approach it with the sword” (NRSV, NIV, ESV, HCSB, NASU)
  3. Job 40:20 Literally “all the animals of the field”
  4. Job 40:22 A seasonal stream that is often dry