Job 41:1-25 - Compare All Versions

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“Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook? Will it keep begging you for mercy? 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? 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? If you lay a hand on it, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! Any hope of subduing it is false; the mere sight of it is overpowering. No one is fierce enough to rouse it. Who then is able to stand against me? Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs, its strength and its graceful form. Who can strip off its outer coat? Who can penetrate its double coat of armor? Who dares open the doors of its mouth, ringed about with fearsome teeth? Its back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted. Its snorting throws out flashes of light; its eyes are like the rays of dawn. Flames stream from its mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from its nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds. Its breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from its mouth. Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. The folds of its flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. Its chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before its thrashing.

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words? Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls? Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hands on him; remember the battle—you will not do it again! Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even at the sight of him. No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame. Who can strip off his outer garment? Who would come near him with a bridle? Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror. His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth. In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him. The folds of his flesh stick together, firmly cast on him and immovable. His heart is hard as a stone, hard as the lower millstone. When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves.

“Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw? Can you tie it with a rope through the nose or pierce its jaw with a spike? Will it beg you for mercy or implore you for pity? Will it agree to work for you, to be your slave for life? Can you make it a pet like a bird, or give it to your little girls to play with? Will merchants try to buy it to sell it in their shops? Will its hide be hurt by spears or its head by a harpoon? If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows. You won’t try that again! No, it is useless to try to capture it. The hunter who attempts it will be knocked down. And since no one dares to disturb it, who then can stand up to me? Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine. “I want to emphasize Leviathan’s limbs and its enormous strength and graceful form. Who can strip off its hide, and who can penetrate its double layer of armor? Who could pry open its jaws? For its teeth are terrible! The scales on its back are like rows of shields tightly sealed together. They are so close together that no air can get between them. Each scale sticks tight to the next. They interlock and cannot be penetrated. “When it sneezes, it flashes light! Its eyes are like the red of dawn. Lightning leaps from its mouth; flames of fire flash out. Smoke streams from its nostrils like steam from a pot heated over burning rushes. Its breath would kindle coals, for flames shoot from its mouth. “The tremendous strength in Leviathan’s neck strikes terror wherever it goes. Its flesh is hard and firm and cannot be penetrated. Its heart is hard as rock, hard as a millstone. When it rises, the mighty are afraid, gripped by terror.

Can you pull in Leviathan  with a hook  or tie his tongue down with a rope? Can you put a cord  through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?  Will he beg you for mercy or speak softly to you? Will he make a covenant with you so that you can take him as a slave forever?  Can you play with him like a bird or put him on a leash  for your girls? Will traders bargain for him or divide him among the merchants? Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? Lay a  hand on him. You will remember the battle and never repeat it! Any hope of capturing him proves false. Does a person not collapse at the very sight of him? No one is ferocious enough to rouse Leviathan;  who then can stand against me? Who confronted me, that I should repay him? Everything under heaven belongs to me.  I cannot be silent about his limbs, his power, and his graceful proportions. Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can penetrate his double layer of armor?  , Who can open his jaws,  surrounded by those terrifying teeth? His pride is in his rows of scales, closely sealed together. One scale is so close to another  that no air can pass between them. They are joined to one another, so closely connected  they cannot be separated. His snorting  flashes with light, while his eyes are like the rays  of dawn. Flaming torches shoot from his mouth; fiery sparks fly out! Smoke billows from his nostrils  as from a boiling pot or burning reeds. His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour out of his mouth. Strength resides in his neck, and dismay dances before him. The folds of his flesh are joined together, solid as metal  and immovable. His heart is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone! When Leviathan rises, the mighty  are terrified; they withdraw because of his thrashing.

Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? Or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Canst thou put an hook into his nose? Or bore his jaw through with a thorn? Will he make many supplications unto thee? Will he speak soft words unto thee? Will he make a covenant with thee? Wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? Shall the companions make a banquet of him? Shall they part him among the merchants? Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? Or his head with fish spears? Lay thine hand upon him, Remember the battle, do no more. Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up: Who then is able to stand before me? Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. I will not conceal his parts, Nor his power, nor his comely proportion. Who can discover the face of his garment? Or who can come to him with his double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face? His teeth are terrible round about. His scales are his pride, Shut up together as with a close seal. One is so near to another, That no air can come between them. They are joined one to another, They stick together, that they cannot be sundered. By his neesings a light doth shine, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, And sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, As out of a seething pot or caldron. His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth out of his mouth. In his neck remaineth strength, And sorrow is turned into joy before him. The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: By reason of breakings they purify themselves.

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you? Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens? Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle— Never do it again! Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me? Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine. “I will not conceal his limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions. Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around? His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal; One is so near another That no air can come between them; They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted. His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth. Strength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him. The folds of his flesh are joined together; They are firm on him and cannot be moved. His heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone. When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.

“Or can you pull in the sea beast, Leviathan, with a fly rod and stuff him in your creel? Can you lasso him with a rope, or snag him with an anchor? Will he beg you over and over for mercy, or flatter you with flowery speech? Will he apply for a job with you to run errands and serve you the rest of your life? Will you play with him as if he were a pet goldfish? Will you make him the mascot of the neighborhood children? Will you put him on display in the market and have shoppers haggle over the price? Could you shoot him full of arrows like a pin cushion, or drive harpoons into his huge head? If you so much as lay a hand on him, you won’t live to tell the story. What hope would you have with such a creature? Why, one look at him would do you in! If you can’t hold your own against his glowering visage, how, then, do you expect to stand up to me? Who could confront me and get by with it? I’m in charge of all this—I run this universe! “But I’ve more to say about Leviathan, the sea beast, his enormous bulk, his beautiful shape. Who would even dream of piercing that tough skin or putting those jaws into bit and bridle? And who would dare knock at the door of his mouth filled with row upon row of fierce teeth? His pride is invincible; nothing can make a dent in that pride. Nothing can get through that proud skin— impervious to weapons and weather, The thickest and toughest of hides, impenetrable! “He snorts and the world lights up with fire, he blinks and the dawn breaks. Comets pour out of his mouth, fireworks arc and branch. Smoke erupts from his nostrils like steam from a boiling pot. He blows and fires blaze; flames of fire stream from his mouth. All muscle he is—sheer and seamless muscle. To meet him is to dance with death. Sinewy and lithe, there’s not a soft spot in his entire body— As tough inside as out, rock-hard, invulnerable. Even angels run for cover when he surfaces, cowering before his tail-thrashing turbulence. Javelins bounce harmlessly off his hide, harpoons ricochet wildly. Iron bars are so much straw to him, bronze weapons beneath notice. Arrows don’t even make him blink; bullets make no more impression than raindrops. A battle ax is nothing but a splinter of kindling; he treats a brandished harpoon as a joke. His belly is armor-plated, inexorable— unstoppable as a barge. He roils deep ocean the way you’d boil water, he whips the sea like you’d whip an egg into batter. With a luminous trail stretching out behind him, you might think Ocean had grown a gray beard! There’s nothing on this earth quite like him, not an ounce of fear in that creature! He surveys all the high and mighty— king of the ocean, king of the deep!”

“Can you drag out Leviathan with a fishhook, And press down his tongue with a rope? “Can you put a rope in his nose, And pierce his jaw with a hook? “Will he make many pleas to you, Or will he speak to you gentle words? “Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? “Will you play with him as with a bird, And tie him down for your young girls? “Will the traders bargain for him? Will they divide him among the merchants? “Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? “Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle; you will not do it again! “Behold, your expectation is false; Will you be hurled down even at the sight of him? “No one is so reckless that he dares to stir him; Who then is he who opposes Me? “Who has been first to give to Me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the entire heaven is Mine. ¶“I will not be silent about his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his graceful frame. “Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can pierce his double armor? “Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror. “His strong scales are his pride, Locked as with a tight seal. “One is so close to another That no air can come between them. “They are joined one to another; They clasp each other and cannot be separated. “His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eye of dawn. “From his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth. “From his nostrils smoke goes out As from a boiling pot and burning reeds. “His breath sets coals aglow, And a flame goes forth from his mouth. “In his neck dwells strength, And dismay leaps before him. “The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm and immovable on him. “His heart is as firm as a stone, And as firm as a lower millstone. “When he rises up, the mighty are afraid; Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? “Can you put a rope [made] of rushes into his nose Or pierce his jaw through with a hook? “Will he make many supplications to you [begging to be spared]? Or will he speak soft words to you [to coax you to treat him kindly]? “Will he make a covenant or an arrangement with you? Will you take him for your servant forever? “Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him [and put him on a leash] for your maidens? “Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? “Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? “Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again! “Behold, his [assailant’s] hope and expectation [of defeating Leviathan] is false; Will not one be overwhelmed even at the sight of him? “No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up Leviathan; Who then is he who can stand before Me [or dares to contend with Me, the beast’s creator]? “Who has first given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. [Who can have a claim against Me who made the unmastered beast?] [Rom 11:35] ¶“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his orderly frame. “Who can penetrate or strip off his outer armor? Who can come to his jaws with a double bridle? “Who can open the doors (jaws) of his face? Around his [open jaws and] teeth there is terror. “His strong scales are his pride, Bound together as with a tight seal. “One is so near to another That no air can come between them. “They are joined one to another; They stick together and cannot be separated. “His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the [reddish] eyelids of the dawn. “Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap out. “Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As from a boiling pot and [as from] burning rushes. “His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth. “In Leviathan’s neck resides strength, And dismay and terror dance before him. “The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immobile [when he moves]. “His heart is as hard as a stone, Indeed, as solid as a lower millstone. “When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

(40:25) “Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook, and tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose, or pierce its jaw with a hook? Will it make numerous supplications to you, will it speak to you with tender words? Will it make a pact with you, so you could take it as your slave for life? Can you play with it, like a bird, or tie it on a leash for your girls? Will partners bargain for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants? Can you fill its hide with harpoons or its head with fishing spears? If you lay your hand on it, you will remember the fight, and you will never do it again! (41:1) See, his expectation is wrong, he is laid low even at the sight of it. Is it not fierce when it is awakened? Who is he, then, who can stand before it? (Who has confronted me that I should repay? Everything under heaven belongs to me!) I will not keep silent about its limbs, and the extent of its might, and the grace of its arrangement. Who can uncover its outer covering? Who can penetrate to the inside of its armor? Who can open the doors of its mouth? Its teeth all around are fearsome. Its back has rows of shields, shut up closely together as with a seal; each one is so close to the next that no air can come between them. They lock tightly together, one to the next; they cling together and cannot be separated. Its snorting throws out flashes of light; its eyes are like the red glow of dawn. Out of its mouth go flames, sparks of fire shoot forth! Smoke streams from its nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning rushes. Its breath sets coals ablaze and a flame shoots from its mouth. Strength lodges in its neck, and despair runs before it. The folds of its flesh are tightly joined; they are firm on it, immovable. Its heart is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified, at its thrashing about they withdraw.