New King James Version

New Living Translation

1“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?

1 “Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw?

2Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

2Can you tie it with a rope through the nose or pierce its jaw with a spike?

3Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?

3Will it beg you for mercy or implore you for pity?

4Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever?

4Will it agree to work for you, to be your slave for life?

5Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens?

5Can you make it a pet like a bird, or give it to your little girls to play with?

6Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants?

6Will merchants try to buy it to sell it in their shops?

7Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?

7Will its hide be hurt by spears or its head by a harpoon?

8Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle— Never do it again!

8If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows. You won’t try that again!

9Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?

9 No, it is useless to try to capture it. The hunter who attempts it will be knocked down.

10No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me?

10And since no one dares to disturb it, who then can stand up to me?

11Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.

11Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine.

12“I will not conceal his limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.

12“I want to emphasize Leviathan’s limbs and its enormous strength and graceful form.

13Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle?

13Who can strip off its hide, and who can penetrate its double layer of armor?

14Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around?

14Who could pry open its jaws? For its teeth are terrible!

15His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal;

15The scales on its back are like rows of shields tightly sealed together.

16One is so near another That no air can come between them;

16They are so close together that no air can get between them.

17They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted.

17Each scale sticks tight to the next. They interlock and cannot be penetrated.

18His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

18“When it sneezes, it flashes light! Its eyes are like the red of dawn.

19Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.

19Lightning leaps from its mouth; flames of fire flash out.

20Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

20Smoke streams from its nostrils like steam from a pot heated over burning rushes.

21His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth.

21Its breath would kindle coals, for flames shoot from its mouth.

22Strength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him.

22“The tremendous strength in Leviathan’s neck strikes terror wherever it goes.

23The folds of his flesh are joined together; They are firm on him and cannot be moved.

23Its flesh is hard and firm and cannot be penetrated.

24His heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone.

24Its heart is hard as rock, hard as a millstone.

25When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.

25When it rises, the mighty are afraid, gripped by terror.

26Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.

26No sword can stop it, no spear, dart, or javelin.

27He regards iron as straw, And bronze as rotten wood.

27Iron is nothing but straw to that creature, and bronze is like rotten wood.

28The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones become like stubble to him.

28Arrows cannot make it flee. Stones shot from a sling are like bits of grass.

29Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins.

29Clubs are like a blade of grass, and it laughs at the swish of javelins.

30His undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire.

30Its belly is covered with scales as sharp as glass. It plows up the ground as it drags through the mud.

31He makes the deep boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

31“Leviathan makes the water boil with its commotion. It stirs the depths like a pot of ointment.

32He leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair.

32The water glistens in its wake, making the sea look white.

33On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear.

33Nothing on earth is its equal, no other creature so fearless.

34He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.”

34Of all the creatures, it is the proudest. It is the king of beasts.”

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.