New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

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

1Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie his tongue down with a rope?

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

2Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?

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

3Will he beg you for mercy or speak softly to you?

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

4Will he make a covenant with you so that you can take him as a slave forever?

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

5Can you play with him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls?

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

6Will traders bargain for him or divide him among the merchants?

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

7Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?

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

8Lay a hand on him. You will remember the battle and never repeat it!

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

9Any hope of capturing him proves false. Does a person not collapse at the very sight of him?

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

10No one is ferocious enough to rouse Leviathan; who then can stand against me?

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

11Who confronted me, that I should repay him? Everything under heaven belongs to me.

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

12I cannot be silent about his limbs, his power, and his graceful proportions.

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

13Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can penetrate his double layer of armor?

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

14Who can open his jaws, surrounded by those terrifying teeth?

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

15His pride is in his rows of scales, closely sealed together.

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

16One scale is so close to another that no air can pass between them.

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

17They are joined to one another, so closely connected they cannot be separated.

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

18His snorting flashes with light, while his eyes are like the rays of dawn.

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

19Flaming torches shoot from his mouth; fiery sparks fly out!

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

20Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot or burning reeds.

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

21His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour out of his mouth.

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

22Strength resides in his neck, and dismay dances before him.

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

23The folds of his flesh are joined together, solid as metal and immovable.

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

24His heart is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!

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

25When Leviathan rises, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw because of his thrashing.

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

26The sword that reaches him will have no effect, nor will a spear, dart, or arrow.

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

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

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

28No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like stubble to him.

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

29A club is regarded as stubble, and he laughs at the sound of a javelin.

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

30His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading the mud like a threshing sledge.

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

31He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like an ointment jar.

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

32He leaves a shining wake behind him; one would think the deep had gray hair!

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

33He has no equal on earth--a creature devoid of fear!

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

34He surveys everything that is haughty; he is king over all the proud beasts.

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

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.