New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down its tongue with a cord?
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?
2 Can you put a rope in its nose, or pierce its jaw with a hook?
2
Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue?
3 Will it make many supplications to you? Will it speak soft words to you?
3
Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you?
4 Will it make a covenant with you to be taken as your servant forever?
4
Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever?
5 Will you play with it as with a bird, or will you put it on leash for your girls?
5
Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
6 Will traders bargain over it? Will they divide it up among the merchants?
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Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders?
7 Can you fill its skin with harpoons, or its head with fishing spears?
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Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head?
8 Lay hands on it; think of the battle; you will not do it again!
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Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
9 Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed; were not even the gods overwhelmed at the sight of it?
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Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him!
10 No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up. Who can stand before it?
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He is so cruel that no one is ready to go against him. Who then is able to keep his place before me?
11 Who can confront it and be safe? —under the whole heaven, who?
11
Who ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven!
12 "I will not keep silence concerning its limbs, or its mighty strength, or its splendid frame.
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I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame.
13 Who can strip off its outer garment? Who can penetrate its double coat of mail?
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Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron?
14 Who can open the doors of its face? There is terror all around its teeth.
14
Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
15 Its back is made of shields in rows, shut up closely as with a seal.
15
His back is made of lines of plates, joined tight together, one against the other, like a stamp.
16 One is so near to another that no air can come between them.
16
One is so near to the other that no air may come between them.
17 They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
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They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
18 Its sneezes flash forth light, and its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
18
His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn.
19 From its mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap out.
19
Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up.
20 Out of its nostrils comes smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
20
Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire.
21 Its breath kindles coals, and a flame comes out of its mouth.
21
His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 In its neck abides strength, and terror dances before it.
22
Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him.
23 The folds of its flesh cling together; it is firmly cast and immovable.
23
The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved.
24 Its heart is as hard as stone, as hard as the lower millstone.
24
His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone.
25 When it raises itself up the gods are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves.
25
When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear.
26 Though the sword reaches it, it does not avail, nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
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.
27 It counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
27
Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood.
28 The arrow cannot make it flee; slingstones, for it, are turned to chaff.
28
The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems.
29 Clubs are counted as chaff; it laughs at the rattle of javelins.
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A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
30 Its underparts are like sharp potsherds; it spreads itself like a threshing sledge on the mire.
30
Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
31 It makes the deep boil like a pot; it makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
31
The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel.
32 It leaves a shining wake behind it; one would think the deep to be white-haired.
32
After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white.
33 On earth it has no equal, a creature without fear.
33
On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear.
34 It surveys everything that is lofty; it is king over all that are proud."
34
Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.