King James Version KJV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
1
"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down its tongue with a cord?
2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
2
Can you put a rope in its nose, or pierce its jaw with a hook?
3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
3
Will it make many supplications to you? Will it speak soft words to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
4
Will it make a covenant with you to be taken as your servant forever?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
5
Will you play with it as with a bird, or will you put it on leash for your girls?
6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
6
Will traders bargain over it? Will they divide it up among the merchants?
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
7
Can you fill its skin with harpoons, or its head with fishing spears?
8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
8
Lay hands on it; think of the battle; you will not do it again!
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
9
Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed; were not even the gods overwhelmed at the sight of it?
10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
10
No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up. Who can stand before it?
11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
11
Who can confront it and be safe? —under the whole heaven, who?
12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
12
"I will not keep silence concerning its limbs, or its mighty strength, or its splendid frame.
13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
13
Who can strip off its outer garment? Who can penetrate its double coat of mail?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
14
Who can open the doors of its face? There is terror all around its teeth.
15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
15
Its back is made of shields in rows, shut up closely as with a seal.
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
16
One is so near to another that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
17
They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
18
Its sneezes flash forth light, and its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
19
From its mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
20
Out of its nostrils comes smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
21
Its breath kindles coals, and a flame comes out of its mouth.
22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
22
In its neck abides strength, and terror dances before it.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
23
The folds of its flesh cling together; it is firmly cast and immovable.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
24
Its heart is as hard as stone, as hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
25
When it raises itself up the gods are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves.
26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
26
Though the sword reaches it, it does not avail, nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
27
It counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
28
The arrow cannot make it flee; slingstones, for it, are turned to chaff.
29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
29
Clubs are counted as chaff; it laughs at the rattle of javelins.
30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
30
Its underparts are like sharp potsherds; it spreads itself like a threshing sledge on the mire.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
31
It makes the deep boil like a pot; it makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
32
It leaves a shining wake behind it; one would think the deep to be white-haired.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
33
On earth it has no equal, a creature without fear.
34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
34
It surveys everything that is lofty; it is king over all that are proud."
The King James Version is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.