1 “ Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

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

2 “ Can you put a rope in his nose Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

Canst thou put a hook into his nose or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

3 “ Will he make many supplications to you, Or will he speak to you soft words?

Will he make many supplications unto thee? Will he speak soft words unto thee?

4 “ Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever?

Will he make a covenant with thee that thou shall take him for a slave for ever?

5 “ Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you bind him for your maidens?

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

6 “ Will the traders bargain over him? Will they divide him among the merchants?

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

7 “ Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?

Canst thou cut his skin with knives or his head with a fish spear?

8 “ Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; you will not do it again!

Lay thine hand upon him; thou shalt remember the battle and do no more.

9 “ Behold, your expectation is false; Will you be laid low even at the sight of him?

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

10 “ No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him; Who then is he that can stand before Me?

No one is so bold as to dare stir him up; who then shall be able to stand before me?

11 “ Who has given to Me that I should repay him ? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.

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

12 “ I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame.

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

13 “ Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail?

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

14 “ Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror.

Who shall open the doors of his face? The orders of his teeth are terrible.

15 “ His strong scales are his pride, Shut up as with a tight seal.

His 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.

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

17 “ They are joined one to another; They clasp each other and cannot be separated.

They are joined one to another; they stick together, that they cannot be separated.

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

By his sneezings lights are lit, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 “ Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth.

Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

20 “ Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

Out of his nostrils goes forth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

21 “ His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.

His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.

22 “ In his neck lodges strength, And dismay leaps before him.

In his neck dwells strength, and before him the work is undone.

23 “ The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immovable.

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

24 “ His heart is as hard as a stone, Even as hard as a lower millstone.

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

25 “ When he raises himself up, the mighty fear; Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

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

26 “ The sword that reaches him cannot avail, Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.

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

27 “ He regards iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood.

He esteems iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.

28 “ The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are turned into stubble for him.

The arrow cannot make him flee; with him, slingstones are turned into stubble.

29 “ Clubs are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rattling of the javelin.

He counts any weapon as stubble; he laughs at the shaking of a spear.

30 “ His underparts are like sharp potsherds; He spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mire.

Broken clay vessels are under him; he carves his imprint upon the mire.

31 “ He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.

He makes the deep to boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 “ Behind him he makes a wake to shine; One would think the deep to be gray-haired.

He makes the path shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

33 “ Nothing on earth is like him, One made without fear.

Upon earth there is not his like, who behaves without fear.

34 “ He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.”

He despises all exalted things; he is king over all the sons of pride.