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 an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
2 C an you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3 W ill he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?
Will he make many supplications unto thee? 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? wilt thou 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?
Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall 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 thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do 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: shall 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 dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
11 W ho has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
Who hath prevented 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 conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
13 W ho can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle?
Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
14 W ho can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around?
Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15 H is rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal;
His 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, that they cannot be sundered.
18 H is sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
By his neesings a light doth shine, 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 lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
20 S moke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21 H is breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth.
His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
22 S trength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him.
In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy 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 in themselves; 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, as hard as a piece of 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 up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
26 T hough the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
27 H e regards iron as straw, And bronze as rotten wood.
He esteemeth 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: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29 D arts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins.
Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
30 H is undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things 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, who is made without fear.
34 H e beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.”
He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.