| Chapter 41 |
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 | Will you put a cord into his nose, or take him away with a cord round his tongue? |
3 | Will he make prayers to you, or say soft words to you? |
4 | Will he make an agreement with you, so that you may take him as a servant for ever? |
5 | Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women? |
6 | Will the fishermen make profit out of him? will they have him cut up for the traders? |
7 | Will you put sharp-pointed irons into his skin, or fish-spears into his head? |
8 | Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again! |
9 | Truly, the hope of his attacker is false; he is overcome even on seeing him! |
10 | 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 ever went against me, and got the better of me? There is no one under heaven! |
12 | I will not keep quiet about the parts of his body, or about his power, and the strength of his frame. |
13 | Who has ever taken off his outer skin? who may come inside his inner coat of iron? |
14 | Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth. |
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 the other that no air may come between them. |
17 | They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted. |
18 | His sneezings give out flames, and his eyes are like the eyes of the dawn. |
19 | Out of his mouth go burning lights, and flames of fire are jumping up. |
20 | Smoke comes out of his nose, like a pot boiling on the fire. |
21 | His breath puts fire to coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth. |
22 | Strength is in his neck, and fear goes dancing before him. |
23 | The plates of his flesh are joined together, fixed, and not to be moved. |
24 | His heart is as strong as a stone, hard as the lower crushing-stone. |
25 | When he gets ready for the fight, the strong are overcome with fear. |
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 | Iron is to him as dry grass, and brass as soft wood. |
28 | The arrow is not able to put him to flight: stones are no more to him than dry stems. |
29 | A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear. |
30 | Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth. |
31 | The deep is boiling like a pot of spices, and the sea like a perfume-vessel. |
32 | After him his way is shining, so that the deep seems white. |
33 | On earth there is not another like him, who is made without fear. |
34 | Everything which is high goes in fear of him; he is king over all the sons of pride. |