Job 41

1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

2 Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee?

4 Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?

5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

6 Will the bands of fishermen make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants?

7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?

8 Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.

9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me?

11 Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.

13 Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.

15  His strong scales are his pride, Shut up together as with a close seal.

16 One is so near to another, That no air can come between them.

17 They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered.

18 His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth.

20 Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, As of a boiling pot and burning rushes.

21 His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.

22 In his neck abideth strength, And terror danceth before him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved.

24 His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone.

25 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.

26 If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.

27 He counteth iron as straw, And brass as rotten wood.

28 The arrow cannot make him flee: Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble.

29 Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.

30 His underparts are like sharp potsherds: He spreadeth as it were a threshing-wain upon the mire.

31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary.

33 Upon earth there is not his like, That is made without fear.

34 He beholdeth everything that is high: He is king over all the sons of pride.

JOB 41

The [Lord] Continues

Can You Catch //a Sea Monster?

1  t Can you catch a sea monstert
by using a fishhook?
Can you tie its mouth shut
with a rope?

2 Can it be led around
by a ring in its nose
or a hook in its jaw?

3 Will it beg for mercy?

4 Will it surrender
as a slave for life?

5 Can it be tied by the leg
like a pet bird
for little girls?

6 Is it ever chopped up
and its pieces bargained for
in the fish-market?

7 Can it be killed
with harpoons or spears?

8 Wrestle it just once—
that will be the end.

9 Merely a glimpse of this monster
makes all courage melt.

10 And if it is too fierce
for anyone to attack,
who would dare oppose me?

11 I am in command of the world
and in debt to no one.

12 What powerful legs,
what a stout body
this monster possesses!

13 Who could strip off its armor
or bring it under control
with a harness?

14 Who would try to open its jaws,
full of fearsome teeth?
*

15 Its backt is covered
with shield after shield,

16 firmly bound and closer together

17 than breath to breath.

When This Monster Sneezes

18 When this monster sneezes,
lightning flashes, and its eyes
glow like the dawn.

19 Sparks and fiery flames
explode from its mouth.

20 And smoke spews from its nose
like steam
from a boiling pot,

21 while its blazing breath
scorches everything in sight.

22 Its neck is so tremendous
that everyone trembles,

23 the weakest parts of its body
are harder than iron,

24 and its heart is stone.

25 When this noisy monster appears,
even the most powerfult
turn and run in fear.

26 No sword or spear can harm it,

27 and weapons of bronze or iron
are as useless as straw
or rotten wood.

28 Rocks thrown from a sling
cause it no more harm
than husks of grain.
This monster fears no arrows,

29 it simply smiles at spears,
and striking it with a stick
is like slapping it with straw.

30 As it crawls through the mud,
its sharp and spiny hide
tears the ground apart.

31 And when it swims down deep,
the sea starts churning
like boiling oil,

32 and it leaves behind a trail
of shining white foam.

33 No other creature on earth
is so fearless.

34 It is king of all proud creatures,
and it looks upon the others
as nothing.