New International Version NIV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 “Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope?
1
"Can you draw out Levi'athan with a fishhook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook?
2
Can you put a rope in his nose, or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will it keep begging you for mercy? Will it speak to you with gentle words?
3
Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak to you soft words?
4 Will it make an agreement with you for you to take it as your slave for life?
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Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant for ever?
5 Can you make a pet of it like a bird or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
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Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on leash for your maidens?
6 Will traders barter for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants?
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Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?
7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons or its head with fishing spears?
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Can you fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fishing spears?
8 If you lay a hand on it, you will remember the struggle and never do it again!
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Lay hands on him; think of the battle; you will not do it again!
9 Any hope of subduing it is false; the mere sight of it is overpowering.
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Behold, the hope of a man is disappointed; he is laid low even at the sight of him.
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it. Who then is able to stand against me?
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No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he that can stand before me?
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
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Who has given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs, its strength and its graceful form.
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"I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat? Who can penetrate its double coat of armor ?
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Who can strip off his outer garment? Who can penetrate his double coat of mail?
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth, ringed about with fearsome teeth?
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Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
15 Its back has rows of shields tightly sealed together;
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His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal.
16 each is so close to the next that no air can pass between.
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One is so near to another that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted.
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They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light; its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
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His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
19 Flames stream from its mouth; sparks of fire shoot out.
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Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
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Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 Its breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from its mouth.
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His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth.
22 Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it.
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In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
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The folds of his flesh cleave together, firmly cast upon him and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone.
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His heart is hard as a stone, hard as the nether millstone.
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before its thrashing.
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When he raises himself up the mighty are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves.
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
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Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail; nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 Iron it treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood.
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He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee; slingstones are like chaff to it.
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The arrow cannot make him flee; for him slingstones are turned to stubble.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw; it laughs at the rattling of the lance.
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Clubs are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rattle of javelins.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
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His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire.
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.
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He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it; one would think the deep had white hair.
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Behind him he leaves a shining wake; one would think the deep to be hoary.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal— a creature without fear.
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Upon earth there is not his like, a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty; it is king over all that are proud.”
34
He beholds everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride."
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the 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.