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

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?

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

Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

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

Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?

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

Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever?

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

Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens?

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

Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants?

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

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

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

Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle— Never do it again!

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

Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?

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 fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against 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 pay him? Everything under 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 limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.

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

Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle?

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

Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around?

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

His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal;

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

One is so near 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 and cannot be parted.

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

His sneezings flash forth light, 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 lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.

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

Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

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.

Strength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him.

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

The folds of his flesh are joined together; They are firm on him and cannot be moved.

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

His heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone.

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

When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.

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

Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.

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

He regards 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; Slingstones become like stubble to him.

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

Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins.

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

His undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire.

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

He makes the deep 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 leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair.

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

On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear.

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

He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.”