Job

Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

1Can you pull Leviathan in with a fishhook? Can you tie his tongue down with a rope?

2Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

2Can you put a cord through his nose? Can you push a hook through his jaw?

3Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

3Will he beg you to let him go? Will he speak gentle words to you?

4Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

4Will he make an agreement with you? Will he be your servant for the rest of his life?

5Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

5Will you play with him like a pet bird? Will you put him on a leash for your servant girls?

6Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?

6Will traders bargain over him? Will they cut him up and sell the pieces to merchants?

7Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?

7Can you fill his hide with harpoons? Can you fill his head with fishing spears?

8Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

8If you ever lay a hand on him, you will remember that fight. You will never try it again.

9Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

9Any hope of beating him is false. Just the sight of him knocks a person flat.

10None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

10No one is bold enough to wake him up. So who could ever stand up against me?

11Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

11Who has ever given me something first, so that I owe him payment? Everything under the sky is mine.

NoteIn 1611 English, "prevented" meant "came before" or "gave first," not "stopped." God is asking who ever gave him something first.

12I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

12I will not stay quiet about his body, his strength, or how well he is built.

13Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

13Who can strip off his outer coat of scales? Who can get close enough to put a bridle on him?

14Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

14Who can pry open his jaws? His teeth ring his mouth, and they are frightening.

15His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

15His rows of scales are his pride. They are sealed tightly together.

16One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

16Each scale is so close to the next that no air can slip between them.

17They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

17They are locked together. They hold fast and cannot be pulled apart.

18By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

18When he snorts, light seems to flash. His eyes glow like the first light of morning.

Note"Neesings" is the old word for sneezing or snorting.

19Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

19Flames seem to shoot from his mouth. Sparks of fire leap out.

20Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

20Smoke pours from his nose, like steam from a pot boiling over a fire.

21His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

21His breath sets coals on fire, and flames come out of his mouth.

22In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

22His neck is packed with strength. Terror runs ahead of him wherever he goes.

NoteThe KJV line "sorrow is turned into joy before him" is hard to follow today. The Hebrew says dismay or terror leaps ahead of him.

23The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

23The folds of his flesh are joined tight. They are solid and will not budge.

24His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

24His chest is as hard as rock, as hard as the bottom stone of a grain mill.

25When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.

25When he rises up, even strong men are afraid. They back away as he thrashes.

26The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

26A sword that reaches him does no harm. Neither does a spear, a dart, or a javelin.

NoteA "habergeon" was a coat of armor, and here it stands for another weapon a soldier might use.

27He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

27To him, iron is only straw, and bronze is only rotten wood.

28The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

28Arrows cannot drive him away. Stones from a sling bounce off him like chaff.

29Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

29A club feels like a piece of straw to him. He laughs at the whistle of a spear.

30Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

30His underside is jagged like broken pottery. He drags through mud and leaves deep tracks.

31He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

31He churns the deep water until it boils. He stirs the sea like a jar of thick ointment.

32He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

32He leaves a shining trail behind him. The white foam makes the sea look gray-haired.

33Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

33Nothing on earth is his equal. He was made without any fear in him.

34He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

34He looks down on everything that is tall. He is king over all proud creatures.