Job 41
1599 Geneva Bible
41 1 By the greatness of this monster Leviathan, God showeth his greatness and his power, which nothing can resist.
1 None is so fierce that dare stir him up. Who is he then that can [a]stand before me?
2 Who hath prevented me that I should [b]make an end? All under heaven is mine.
3 I will not keep silence concerning [c]his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
4 Who can discover the face [d]of his garment? or who shall come to him with a double [e]bridle?
5 Who shall [f]open the doors of his face? his teeth are fearful round about.
6 The majesty of his scales is like strong shields, and are sure sealed.
7 One is set to another, that no wind can come between them.
8 One is joined to another: they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
9 His sneezings [g]make the light to shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
10 Out of his mouth go lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
11 Out of his nostrils cometh out smoke, as out of a boiling pot or caldron.
12 His breath maketh the coals burn: for a flame goeth out of his mouth.
13 In his neck remaineth strength, and [h]labor is rejected before his face.
14 The members of his body are joined: they are strong in themselves, and cannot be moved.
15 His heart is as strong as a stone, and as hard as the nether millstone.
16 The mighty are afraid of his majesty, and for fear they faint in themselves.
17 When the sword doth touch him, he will not rise up, nor for the spear, dart nor habergeon.
18 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
19 The archer cannot make him flee: the stones of the sling are turneth into stubble unto him.
20 The darts are counted as straw: and he laugheth at the shaking of the spear.
21 Sharp stones [i]are under him, and he spreadeth sharp things upon the mire.
22 He maketh the depth to [j]boil like a pot, and maketh the Sea like a pot of ointment.
23 He maketh a path to [k]shine after him, one would think the depth as an hoar head.
24 In the earth there is none like him: he is made without fear.
25 He beholdeth [l]all high things: he is a King over all the children of pride.
Footnotes
- Job 41:1 If none dare stand against a whale, which is but a creature, who is able to compare with God the Creator?
- Job 41:2 Who hath taught me to accomplish my work?
- Job 41:3 The parts and members of the whale?
- Job 41:4 That is, who dare pull off his skin?
- Job 41:4 Who dare put a bridle in his mouth?
- Job 41:5 Who dare look in his mouth?
- Job 41:9 That is, casteth out flames of fire.
- Job 41:13 Nothing is painful or hard unto him.
- Job 41:21 His skin is so hard that he lieth with a great ease on the stones as in the mire.
- Job 41:22 Either he maketh the sea to seem as it boiled by his wallowing, or else he spouteth water in such abundance as it would seem that the sea boiled.
- Job 41:23 That is, a white froth and shining stream before him.
- Job 41:25 He despiseth all other beasts and monsters, and is the proudest of all others.
Job 41
Good News Translation
41 (A)Can you catch Leviathan[a] with a fishhook
or tie his tongue down with a rope?
2 Can you put a rope through his snout
or put a hook through his jaws?
3 Will he beg you to let him go?
Will he plead with you for mercy?
4 Will he make an agreement with you
and promise to serve you forever?
5 Will you tie him like a pet bird,
like something to amuse your servant women?
6 Will fishermen bargain over him?
Will merchants cut him up to sell?
7 Can you fill his hide with fishing spears
or pierce his head with a harpoon?
8 Touch him once and you'll never try it again;
you'll never forget the fight!
9 Anyone who sees Leviathan
loses courage and falls to the ground.
10 When he is aroused, he is fierce;
no one would dare to stand before him.
11 Who can attack him and still be safe?
No one in all the world can do it.[b]
12 Let me tell you about Leviathan's legs
and describe how great and strong he is.
13 No one can tear off his outer coat
or pierce the armor[c] he wears.
14 Who can make him open his jaws,
ringed with those terrifying teeth?
15 His back[d] is made of rows of shields,
fastened together and hard as stone.
16 Each one is joined so tight to the next,
not even a breath can come between.
17 They all are fastened so firmly together
that nothing can ever pull them apart.
18 Light flashes when he sneezes,
and his eyes glow like the rising sun.
19 Flames blaze from his mouth,
and streams of sparks fly out.
20 Smoke comes pouring out of his nose,
like smoke from weeds burning under a pot.
21 His breath starts fires burning;
flames leap out of his mouth.
22 His neck is so powerful
that all who meet him are terrified.
23 There is not a weak spot in his skin;
it is as hard and unyielding as iron.
24 His stony heart is without fear,
as unyielding and hard as a millstone.
25 When he rises up, even the strongest[e] are frightened;
they are helpless with fear.
26 There is no sword that can wound him;
no spear or arrow or lance that can harm him.
27 For him iron is as flimsy as straw,
and bronze as soft as rotten wood.
28 There is no arrow that can make him run;
rocks thrown at him are like bits of straw.
29 To him a club is a piece of straw,
and he laughs when men throw spears.
30 The scales on his belly are like jagged pieces of pottery;
they tear up the muddy ground like a threshing sledge.[f]
31 He churns up the sea like boiling water
and makes it bubble like a pot of oil.
32 He leaves a shining path behind him
and turns the sea to white foam.
33 There is nothing on earth to compare with him;
he is a creature that has no fear.
34 He looks down on even the proudest animals;
he is king of all wild beasts.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
