Job 41
41
The Lord Continues
Can You Catch a Sea Monster?
1 #
Ps 74.14; 104.26; Is 27.1. Can you catch a sea monster#41.1 sea monster: The Hebrew text has “Leviathan,” which may refer to a sea monster or possibly to a crocodile in this verse (see the note at 3.8).
by using a fishhook?
Can you tie its mouth shut
with a rope?
2Can it be led around
by a ring in its nose
or a hook in its jaw?
3Will it beg for mercy?
4Will it surrender
as a slave for life?
5Can it be tied by the leg
like a pet bird
for little girls?
6Is it ever chopped up
and its pieces bargained for
in the fish-market?
7Can it be killed
with harpoons or spears?
8Wrestle it just once—
that will be the end.
9Merely a glimpse of this monster
makes all courage melt.
10And if it is too fierce
for anyone to attack,
who would dare oppose me?
11I am in command of the world
and in debt to no one.
12What powerful legs,
what a stout body
this monster possesses!
13Who could strip off its armor
or bring it under control
with a harness?
14Who would try to open its jaws,
full of fearsome teeth?
* 15Its back#41.15 back: Two ancient translations; Hebrew “pride.” is covered
with shield after shield,
16firmly bound and closer together
17than breath to breath.
When This Monster Sneezes
18When this monster sneezes,
lightning flashes, and its eyes
glow like the dawn.
19Sparks and fiery flames
explode from its mouth.
20And smoke spews from its nose
like steam
from a boiling pot,
21while its blazing breath
scorches everything in sight.
22Its neck is so tremendous
that everyone trembles,
23the weakest parts of its body
are harder than iron,
24and its heart is stone.
25When this noisy monster appears,
even the most powerful#41.25 most powerful: Or “gods.”
turn and run in fear.
26No sword or spear can harm it,
27and weapons of bronze or iron
are as useless as straw
or rotten wood.
28Rocks thrown from a sling
cause it no more harm
than husks of grain.
This monster fears no arrows,
29it simply smiles at spears,
and striking it with a stick
is like slapping it with straw.
30As it crawls through the mud,
its sharp and spiny hide
tears the ground apart.
31And when it swims down deep,
the sea starts churning
like boiling oil,
32and it leaves behind a trail
of shining white foam.
33No other creature on earth
is so fearless.
34It is king of all proud creatures,
and it looks upon the others
as nothing.
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Job 41: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Job 41
41
1 #
Ps 74.14; 104.26; Is 27.1 Can you catch Leviathan#41.1 Leviathan: See 3.8. with a fish-hook
or tie his tongue down with a rope?
2Can you put a rope through his snout
or put a hook through his jaws?
3Will he beg you to let him go?
Will he plead with you for mercy?
4Will he make an agreement with you
and promise to serve you for ever?
5Will you tie him up like a pet bird,
like something to amuse your servant women?
6Will fishermen bargain over him?
Will merchants cut him up to sell?
7Can you fill his hide with fishing spears
or pierce his head with a harpoon?
8Touch him once and you'll never try it again;
you'll never forget the fight!
9Anyone who sees Leviathan
loses courage and falls to the ground.
10When he is aroused, he is fierce;
no one would dare to stand before him.
11Who can attack him and still be safe?
No one in all the world can do it.#41.11 Verse 11 in Hebrew is unclear.
12Let me tell you about Leviathan's legs
and describe how great and strong he is.
13No one can tear off his outer coat
or pierce the armour#41.13 One ancient translation armour; Hebrew bridle. he wears.
14Who can make him open his jaws,
ringed with those terrifying teeth?
15His back#41.15 Some ancient translations back; Hebrew pride. is made of rows of shields,
fastened together and hard as stone.
16Each one is joined so tight to the next,
not even a breath can come between.
17They all are fastened so firmly together
that nothing can ever pull them apart.
18Light flashes when he sneezes,
and his eyes glow like the rising sun.
19Flames blaze from his mouth,
and streams of sparks fly out.
20Smoke comes pouring out of his nose,
like smoke from weeds burning under a pot.
21His breath starts fires burning;
flames leap out of his mouth.
22His neck is so powerful
that all who meet him are terrified.
23There is not a weak spot in his skin;
it is as hard and unyielding as iron.
24His stony heart is without fear,
as unyielding and hard as a millstone.
25When he rises up, even the strongest#41.25 strongest; or gods. are frightened;
they are helpless with fear.
26There is no sword that can wound him;
no spear or arrow or lance that can harm him.
27For him iron is as flimsy as straw,
and bronze as soft as rotten wood.
28There is no arrow that can make him run;
rocks thrown at him are like bits of straw.
29To him a club is a piece of straw,
and he laughs when men throw spears.
30The scales on his belly are like jagged pieces of pottery;
they tear up the muddy ground like a threshing-sledge.#41.30 threshing-sledge(s): These had sharp pieces of iron or stone fastened beneath them.
31He churns up the sea like boiling water
and makes it bubble like a pot of oil.
32He leaves a shining path behind him
and turns the sea to white foam.
33There is nothing on earth to compare with him;
he is a creature that has no fear.
34He looks down on even the proudest animals;
he is king of all wild beasts.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.