New King James Version NKJV
King James Version KJV
1 "Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
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Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
2 Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
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Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3 Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?
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Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
4 Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever?
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Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens?
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Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6 Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants?
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Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?
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Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
8 Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle-- Never do it again!
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Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
9 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
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Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me?
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None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
11 Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
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Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12 "I will not conceal his limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
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I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
13 Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle?
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Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around?
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Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15 His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal;
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His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
16 One is so near another That no air can come between them;
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One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted.
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They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
18 His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
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By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.
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Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
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Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21 His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth.
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His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
22 Strength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him.
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In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together; They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
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The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone.
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His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.
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When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
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The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
27 He regards iron as straw, And bronze as rotten wood.
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He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones become like stubble to him.
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The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29 Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins.
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Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
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Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
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He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair.
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He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
33 On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear.
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Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
34 He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride."
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He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.