Chapter 41

¹Wilt thou draw out the leviathan with the hook, and press down his tongue with a cord? ²Wilt thou put a rush-rope into his nose, and pierce his jaw with a spike? ³Will he make many supplications unto thee? or will he speak softly unto thee? ⁴Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him as a bondman for ever? ⁵Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, and wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? ⁶Shall partners make traffic of him, will they divide him among merchants? ⁷Wilt thou fill his skin with darts, and his head with fish-spears? ⁸Lay thy hand upon him; remember the battle, -- do no more! ⁹Lo, hope as to him is belied: is not one cast down even at the sight of him? ¹⁰None is so bold as to stir him up; and who is he that will stand before me? ¹¹Who hath first given to me, that I should repay [him]? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine. ¹²I will not be silent as to his parts, the story of his power, and the beauty of his structure. ¹³Who can uncover the surface of his garment? who can come within his double jaws? ¹⁴Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror. ¹⁵The rows of his shields are a pride, shut up together [as with] a close seal. ¹⁶One is so near to another that no air can come between them; ¹⁷They are joined each to its fellow; they stick together, and cannot be sundered. ¹⁸His sneezings flash light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. ¹⁹Out of his mouth go forth flames; sparks of fire leap out: ²⁰Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a boiling pot and cauldron. ²¹His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. ²²In his neck lodgeth strength, and terror danceth before him. ²³The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are fused upon him, they cannot be moved. ²⁴His heart is firm as a stone, yea, firm as the nether [millstone]. ²⁵When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: they are beside themselves with consternation. ²⁶If any reach him with a sword, it cannot hold; neither spear, nor dart, nor harpoon. ²⁷He esteemeth iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood. ²⁸The arrow will not make him flee; slingstones are turned with him into stubble. ²⁹Clubs are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin. ³⁰His under parts are sharp potsherds: he spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire. ³¹He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment; ³²He maketh the path to shine after him: one would think the deep to be hoary. ³³Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. ³⁴He beholdeth all high things; he is king over all the proud beasts.