15 Look at Behemoth,
which I made along with you.
He eats grass like cattle.
16 Look at the strength of his back[a]
and the power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He stiffens his tail like a cedar tree;
the tendons of his thighs are woven firmly together.
18 His bones are bronze tubes;
his limbs are like iron rods.
19 He is the foremost of God’s works;(A)
only his Maker can draw the sword against him.
20 The hills yield food for him,
while all sorts of wild animals play there.
21 He lies under the lotus plants,
hiding in the protection[b] of marshy reeds.
22 Lotus plants cover him with their shade;
the willows by the brook surround him.
23 Though the river rages, Behemoth is unafraid;
he remains confident, even if the Jordan surges up to his mouth.
24 Can anyone capture him while he looks on,[c]
or pierce his nose with snares?

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Footnotes

  1. 40:16 Or waist
  2. 40:21 Lit plants, in the hiding place
  3. 40:24 Lit capture it in its eyes

On Behemoth

15 “Please observe[a] Behemoth,[b] which I made along with you.
    He eats grass like an ox.
16 Now take a look at the strength that he has in his loins,
    and in the muscles of his abdomen.
17 His tail protrudes stiffly, like cedar;[c]
    the sinews of his thigh interlink for strength.
18 His bones are conduits[d] of bronze;[e]
    his strong bones are like bars of iron.
19 He is the grandest[f] of God’s undertakings,[g]
    yet his creator is approaching him with his sword.[h]

20 Mountains produce food for him,
    where all the wild animals frolic.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
    hiding under reeds and marshes.[i]
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade,
    and willows that line the wadis[j] surround him.
23 What you see as a raging river doesn’t alarm him;
    he is confident when the Jordan overflows.
24 Are your eyes looking to capture him,
    or to pierce his snout with a bridle?”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 40:15 Lit. look
  2. Job 40:15 I.e. an ancient, gigantic herbivore, living in Job’s time but now apparently extinct
  3. Job 40:17 I.e. a genus of coniferous evergreen in the family Pinaceae
  4. Job 40:18 Or channels
  5. Job 40:18 Or copper
  6. Job 40:19 Or first
  7. Job 40:19 Lit. ways
  8. Job 40:19 I.e. God was about to make Behemoth extinct
  9. Job 40:21 Lit. reed and marsh
  10. Job 40:22 I.e. seasonal streams that channel water during rain seasons but are dry at other times