King James Version KJV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
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"And Livyatan! Can you catch him with a fishhook or hold his tongue down with a rope?
2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
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Can you put a ring in his nose or pierce his jaw with a barb?
3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
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Will he entreat you at length? Will he speak with you softly?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
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Will he agree with you to be your slave forever?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
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Will you play with him as you would with a bird or keep him on a string to amuse your little girls?
6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
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Will a group of fishermen turn him into a banquet? Will they divide him among the merchants?
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
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Can you fill his skin with darts or his head with fish-spears?
8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
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If you lay your hand on him, you won't forget the fight, and you'll never do it again!
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
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"Look, any hope [of capturing him] is futile -one would fall prostrate at the very sight of him.
10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
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No one is fierce enough to rouse him, so who can stand up to me?
11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
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Who has given me anything and made me pay it back? Everything belongs to me under all of heaven.
12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
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"I have more to say about his limbs, his strong talk, and his matchless strength.
13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
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Who can strip off his [scaly] garment? Who can enter his jaws?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
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Who can pry open the doors of his face, so close to his terrible teeth?
15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
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"His pride is his rows of scales, tightly sealed together -
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
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one is so close to the next that no air can come between them;
17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
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they are stuck one to another, interlocked and impervious.
18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
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"When he sneezes, light flashes out; his eyes are like the shimmer of dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
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From his mouth go fiery torches, and sparks come flying out.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
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His nostrils belch steam like a caldron boiling on the fire.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
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His breath sets coals ablaze; flames pour from his mouth.
22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
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"Strength resides in his neck, and dismay dances ahead of him [as he goes].
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
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The layers of his flesh stick together; they are firm on him, immovable.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
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His heart is as hard as a stone, yes, hard as a lower millstone.
25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
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When he rears himself up, the gods are afraid, beside themselves in despair.
26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
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"If a sword touches him, it won't stick; neither will a spear, or a dart, or a lance.
27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
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He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
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An arrow can't make him flee; for him, slingstones are so much chaff.
29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
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Clubs count as hay, and he laughs at a quivering javelin.
30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
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His belly is as sharp as fragments of pottery, so he moves across the mud like a threshing-sledge.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
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"He makes the depths seethe like a pot, he makes the sea [boil] like a perfume kettle.
32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
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He leaves a shining wake behind him, making the deep seem to have white hair.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
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"On earth there is nothing like him, a creature without fear.
34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
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He looks straight at all high things. He is king over all proud beasts."