1 “ Can you pull the crocodile out with a fish-hook? Can you tie his tongue down with a rope?

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?

2 C an you put a rope in his nose, or put a hook through his jaw?

Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

3 W ill he beg you to be good to him? Will he speak soft words to you?

Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?

4 W ill he make an agreement with you to take him and make him your servant forever?

Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?

5 W ill you play with him as if he were a bird? Or will you put him on a rope for your young women?

Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?

6 W ill traders talk about buying and selling him? Will they divide him among the store-keepers?

Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?

7 C an you fill his skin or his head with fish spears?

Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?

8 L ay your hand on him, and remember the battle. You will not do it again!

Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.

9 S ee, the hope of man is false. One is laid low even when seeing him.

Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down even at the sight of him?

10 N o one is so powerful that he would wake him. Who then can stand before Me?

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

11 W ho has given Me everything, that I should pay him back? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.

Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.

12 “ I will not keep quiet about his legs, or his powerful strength, or the good way he is made.

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

13 W ho can take off his outside clothing? Who can get through his hard skin?

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

14 W ho can open the doors of his mouth? Around his teeth is much fear.

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

15 H is hard covering is his pride. He is shut up as with a lock.

Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.

16 O ne piece of his hard skin is so close to 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 hold on to each other and cannot be separated.

They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.

18 H is breath gives out light. And his eyes are like those of the first light of day.

His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 B urning light goes out of his mouth. Fire comes out.

Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out.

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

Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

21 H is breath sets fire to coals. A fire goes out of his mouth.

His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.

22 S trength is in his neck, and fear jumps in front of him.

There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.

23 T he folds of his flesh are joined together. They are set in place and cannot be moved.

The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved.

24 H is heart is as hard as a stone, even as hard as a grinding-stone.

His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.

25 W hen he raises himself up, the powerful are afraid. They are troubled because of his noise.

When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.

26 T he sword that hits him cannot cut. And spears are of no use.

If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.

27 H e thinks of iron as straw, and brass as soft wood.

He counts iron as straw; and brass as rotten wood.

28 T he arrow cannot make him run away. Stones thrown at him are like dry grass to him.

The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.

29 H e thinks of heavy sticks as dry grass. He laughs at the noise of the spear.

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

30 T he parts under him are like sharp pieces of a pot. He spreads out like a grain crusher on the mud.

His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

31 H e makes the sea boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a jar of oil.

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

32 H e makes his way shine behind him. One would think that the sea has white hair.

He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.

33 N othing on earth is like him, one made without fear.

On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.

34 H e looks on everything that is high. He is king over all that are proud.”

He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”