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41 “Can you catch Leviathan[a] on a fishhook
    or tie its tongue down with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose
    or a hook in its jaw?
Will it keep begging you for mercy
    and speak to you with gentle words?
Will it make an agreement with you
    and let you take it as your slave for life?
Can you make a pet of Leviathan as you would a bird
    or put it on a leash for your girls?
Will traders try to bargain with you for it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you stick darts all over its skin
    or fill its head with fishing spears?
If you put one hand on it,
    you will never forget the battle,
    and you will never do it again!
There is no hope of defeating it;
    just seeing it overwhelms people.
10 No one is brave enough to make it angry,
    so who would be able to stand up against me?
11 No one has ever given me anything that I must pay back,
    because everything under the sky belongs to me.

12 “I will speak about Leviathan’s arms and legs,
    its great strength and well-formed body.
13 No one can tear off its outer hide
    or poke through its double armor.
14 No one can force open its great jaws;
    they are filled with frightening teeth.
15 It has rows of shields on its back
    that are tightly sealed together.
16 Each shield is so close to the next one
    that no air can go between them.
17 They are joined strongly to one another;
    they hold on to each other and cannot be separated.
18 When it snorts, flashes of light are thrown out,
    and its eyes look like the light at dawn.
19 Flames blaze from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours out of its nose,
    as if coming from a large pot over a hot fire.
21 Its breath sets coals on fire,
    and flames come out of its mouth.
22 There is great strength in its neck.
    People are afraid and run away.
23 The folds of its skin are tightly joined;
    they are set and cannot be moved.
24 Its chest is as hard as a rock,
    even as hard as a grinding stone.
25 The powerful fear its terrible looks
    and draw back in fear as it moves.
26 The sword that hits it does not hurt it,
    nor the arrows, darts, and spears.
27 It treats iron as if it were straw
    and bronze metal as if it were rotten wood.
28 It does not run away from arrows;
    stones from slings are like chaff to it.
29 Clubs feel like pieces of straw to it,
    and it laughs when they shake a spear at it.
30 The underside of its body is like broken pieces of pottery.
    It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing board.
31 It makes the deep sea bubble like a boiling pot;
    it stirs up the sea like a pot of oil.
32 When it swims, it leaves a shining path in the water
    that makes the sea look as if it had white hair.
33 Nothing else on earth is equal to it;
    it is a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all those who are too proud;
    it is king over all proud creatures.”

Footnotes

  1. 41:1 Leviathan A sea creature, exact identity unknown.

41 [a]“Can you pull in Leviathan(A) with a fishhook(B)
    or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose(C)
    or pierce its jaw with a hook?(D)
Will it keep begging you for mercy?(E)
    Will it speak to you with gentle words?
Will it make an agreement with you
    for you to take it as your slave for life?(F)
Can you make a pet of it like a bird
    or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
Will traders barter for it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its hide with harpoons
    or its head with fishing spears?(G)
If you lay a hand on it,
    you will remember the struggle and never do it again!(H)
Any hope of subduing it is false;
    the mere sight of it is overpowering.(I)
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.(J)
    Who then is able to stand against me?(K)
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?(L)
    Everything under heaven belongs to me.(M)

12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,(N)
    its strength(O) and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of armor[b]?(P)
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,(Q)
    ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has[c] rows of shields
    tightly sealed together;(R)
16 each is so close to the next
    that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
    they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.(S)
19 Flames(T) stream from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils(U)
    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath(V) sets coals ablaze,
    and flames dart from its mouth.(W)
22 Strength(X) resides in its neck;
    dismay goes before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
    they are firm and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock,
    hard as a lower millstone.(Y)
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;(Z)
    they retreat before its thrashing.(AA)
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
    nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.(AB)
27 Iron it treats like straw(AC)
    and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;(AD)
    slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;(AE)
    it laughs(AF) at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
    leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.(AG)
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron(AH)
    and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.(AI)
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
    one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal(AJ)
    a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;(AK)
    it is king over all that are proud.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Job 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-8 is numbered 40:25-32, and 41:9-34 is numbered 41:1-26.
  2. Job 41:13 Septuagint; Hebrew double bridle
  3. Job 41:15 Or Its pride is its