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

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

2 C an you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

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

3 W ill he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?

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

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

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

5 W ill you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens?

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

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

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

7 C an you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?

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

8 L ay your hand on him; Remember the battle— Never do it again!

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

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

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

10 N o one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me?

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

11 W ho has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.

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

12 “ I will not conceal his limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.

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

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

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

14 W ho can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around?

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

15 H is rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal;

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

16 O ne is so near another That no air can come between them;

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

17 T hey are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted.

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

18 H is sneezings 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 O ut of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.

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

20 S moke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

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

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

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

22 S trength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him.

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

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

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

24 H is heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone.

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

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

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

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

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

27 H e regards iron as straw, And bronze as rotten wood.

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

28 T he arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones become like stubble to him.

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

29 D arts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins.

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

30 H is undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire.

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

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

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

32 H e leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair.

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

33 O n earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear.

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

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

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