1 ¶ Canst thou draw out leviathan with a hook or with the cord which thou lettest down on his tongue?

“Can you pull the crocodile out with a fish-hook? Can you tie his tongue down with a rope?

2 C anst thou put a hook into his nose or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

Can you put a rope in his nose, or put a hook through his jaw?

3 W ill he make many supplications unto thee? Will he speak soft words unto thee?

Will he beg you to be good to him? Will he speak soft words to you?

4 W ill he make a covenant with thee that thou shall take him for a slave for ever?

Will he make an agreement with you to take him and make him your servant forever?

5 W ilt thou play with him as with a bird, or wilt thou tie him up for thy maidens?

Will you play with him as if he were a bird? Or will you put him on a rope for your young women?

6 S hall the companions make a banquet of him? Shall they part him among the merchants?

Will traders talk about buying and selling him? Will they divide him among the store-keepers?

7 C anst thou cut his skin with knives or his head with a fish spear?

Can you fill his skin or his head with fish spears?

8 L ay thine hand upon him; thou shalt remember the battle and do no more.

Lay your hand on him, and remember the battle. You will not do it again!

9 B ehold, your hope regarding him shall fail; for even at the sight of him they shall faint.

See, the hope of man is false. One is laid low even when seeing him.

10 N o one is so bold as to dare stir him up; who then shall be able to stand before me?

No one is so powerful that he would wake him. Who then can stand before Me?

11 ¶ Who has preceded me, that I should repay him? All that is under the whole heaven is mine.

Who has given Me everything, that I should pay him back? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.

12 I will not conceal his lies, nor his might, nor the beauty of his order.

“I will not keep quiet about his legs, or his powerful strength, or the good way he is made.

13 W ho shall uncover the face of his garment? Or who shall come to him with a double bridle?

Who can take off his outside clothing? Who can get through his hard skin?

14 W ho shall open the doors of his face? The orders of his teeth are terrible.

Who can open the doors of his mouth? Around his teeth is much fear.

15 H is scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

His hard covering is his pride. He is shut up as with a lock.

16 O ne is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

One piece of his hard skin is so close to another that no air can come between them.

17 T hey are joined one to another; they stick together, that they cannot be separated.

They are joined one to another. They hold on to each other and cannot be separated.

18 B y his sneezings lights are lit, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

His breath gives out light. And his eyes are like those of the first light of day.

19 O ut of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

Burning light goes out of his mouth. Fire comes out.

20 O ut of his nostrils goes forth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

Smoke goes out of his nostrils, as from a boiling pot and burning grass.

21 H is breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.

His breath sets fire to coals. A fire goes out of his mouth.

22 I n his neck dwells strength, and before him the work is undone.

Strength is in his neck, and fear jumps in front of him.

23 T he failings of his flesh are joined together; his flesh is firm in him and does not move.

The folds of his flesh are joined together. They are set in place and cannot be moved.

24 H is heart is as firm as a stone; as hard as a piece of the lower millstone.

His heart is as hard as a stone, even as hard as a grinding-stone.

25 O f his greatness, the mighty are afraid; by reason of breakings they remove sin from themselves.

When he raises himself up, the powerful are afraid. They are troubled because of his noise.

26 W hen one catches up to him, no sword or spear or dart or coat of mail shall endure against him.

The sword that hits him cannot cut. And spears are of no use.

27 H e esteems iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.

He thinks of iron as straw, and brass as soft wood.

28 T he arrow cannot make him flee; with him, slingstones are turned into stubble.

The arrow cannot make him run away. Stones thrown at him are like dry grass to him.

29 H e counts any weapon as stubble; he laughs at the shaking of a spear.

He thinks of heavy sticks as dry grass. He laughs at the noise of the spear.

30 B roken clay vessels are under him; he carves his imprint upon the mire.

The parts under him are like sharp pieces of a pot. He spreads out like a grain crusher on the mud.

31 H e makes the deep to boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

He makes the sea boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a jar of oil.

32 H e makes the path shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

He makes his way shine behind him. One would think that the sea has white hair.

33 U pon earth there is not his like, who behaves without fear.

Nothing on earth is like him, one made without fear.

34 H e despises all exalted things; he is king over all the sons of pride.

He looks on everything that is high. He is king over all that are proud.”