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

Dost thou draw leviathan with an angle? And with a rope thou lettest down -- his tongue?

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

Dost thou put a reed in his nose? And with a thorn pierce his jaw?

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

Doth he multiply unto thee supplications? Doth he speak unto thee tender things?

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

Doth he make a covenant with thee? Dost thou take him for a servant age-during?

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

Dost thou play with him as a bird? And dost thou bind him for thy damsels?

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

(Feast upon him do companions, They divide him among the merchants!)

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

Dost thou fill with barbed irons his skin? And with fish-spears his head?

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

Place on him thy hand, Remember the battle -- do not add!

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

Lo, the hope of him is found a liar, Also at his appearance is not one cast down?

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

None so fierce that he doth awake him, And who he before Me stationeth himself?

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

Who hath brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it mine.

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

I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement.

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

Who hath uncovered the face of his clothing? Within his double bridle who doth enter?

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

The doors of his face who hath opened? Round about his teeth terrible.

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

A pride -- strong ones of shields, Shut up -- a close seal.

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

One unto another they draw nigh, And air doth not enter between them.

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

One unto another they adhere, They stick together and are not separated.

18 H is sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes as the eyelids of the dawn.

19 O ut of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.

Out of his mouth do flames go, sparks of fire escape.

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

Out of his nostrils goeth forth smoke, As a blown pot and reeds.

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

His breath setteth coals on fire, And a flame from his mouth goeth forth.

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

In his neck lodge doth strength, And before him doth grief exult.

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

The flakes of his flesh have adhered -- Firm upon him -- it is not moved.

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

His heart firm as a stone, Yea, firm as the lower piece.

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

From his rising are the mighty afraid, From breakings they keep themselves free.

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

The sword of his overtaker standeth not, Spear -- dart -- and lance.

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

He reckoneth iron as straw, brass as rotten wood.

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

The son of the bow doth not cause him to flee, Turned by him into stubble are stones of the sling.

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

As stubble have darts been reckoned, And he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.

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

Under him sharp points of clay, He spreadeth gold on the mire.

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

He causeth to boil as a pot the deep, The sea he maketh as a pot of ointment.

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

After him he causeth a path to shine, One thinketh the deep to be hoary.

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

There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror.

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

Every high thing he doth see, He king over all sons of pride.