| Bible in Basic English (BBE) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 Is it possible for Leviathan to be pulled out with a fish-hook, or for a hook to be put through the bone of his mouth?
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1 "Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope?
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2 Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
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2 Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
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3 Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
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3 Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words?
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4 Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?
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4 Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for life?
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5 Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
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5 Can you make a pet of him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls?
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6 Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
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6 Will traders barter for him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?
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7 Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
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7 Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
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8 Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
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8 If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again!
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9 Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
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9 Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering.
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10 He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me?
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10 No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me?
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11 Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
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11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
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12 I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame.
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12 "I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form.
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13 Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
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13 Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle?
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14 Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
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14 Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth?
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15 His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
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15 His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together;
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16 One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
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16 each is so close to the next that no air can pass between.
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17 They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
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17 They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted.
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18 His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
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18 His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
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19 Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
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19 Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out.
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20 Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
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20 Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
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21 His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
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21 His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth.
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22 Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
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22 Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him.
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23 The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.
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23 The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
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24 His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
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24 His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone.
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25 When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
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25 When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing.
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26 The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron.
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26 The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
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27 Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
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27 Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood.
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28 The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems.
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28 Arrows do not make him flee; slingstones are like chaff to him.
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29 A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
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29 A club seems to him but a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance.
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30 Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
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30 His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
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31 The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
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31 He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.
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32 After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
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32 Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair.
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33 On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
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33 Nothing on earth is his equal-- a creature without fear.
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34 Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
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34 He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud."
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| The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain. (The Bible in Basic English Version Online) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
