Contemporary English Version The Lord ContinuesCan You Catch a Sea Monster?1 Can you catch a sea monster+ by using a fishhook? Can you tie its mouth shut with a rope? 2Can it be led around by a ring in its nose or a hook in its jaw? 3Will it beg for mercy? 4Will it surrender as a slave for life? 5Can it be tied by the leg like a pet bird for little girls? 6Is it ever chopped up and its pieces bargained for in the fish-market? 7Can it be killed with harpoons or spears? 8Wrestle it just once— that will be the end. 9Merely a glimpse of this monster makes all courage melt. 10And if it is too fierce for anyone to attack, who would dare oppose me? 11I am in command of the world and in debt to no one. 12What powerful legs, what a stout body this monster possesses! 13Who could strip off its armor or bring it under control with a harness? 14Who would try to open its jaws, full of fearsome teeth? * 15Its back+ is covered with shield after shield, 16firmly bound and closer together 17than breath to breath. When This Monster Sneezes18When this monster sneezes, lightning flashes, and its eyes glow like the dawn. 19Sparks and fiery flames explode from its mouth. 20And smoke spews from its nose like steam from a boiling pot, 21while its blazing breath scorches everything in sight. 22Its neck is so tremendous that everyone trembles, 23the weakest parts of its body are harder than iron, 24and its heart is stone. 25When this noisy monster appears, even the most powerful+ turn and run in fear. 26No sword or spear can harm it, 27and weapons of bronze or iron are as useless as straw or rotten wood. 28Rocks thrown from a sling cause it no more harm than husks of grain. This monster fears no arrows, 29it simply smiles at spears, and striking it with a stick is like slapping it with straw. 30As it crawls through the mud, its sharp and spiny hide tears the ground apart. 31And when it swims down deep, the sea starts churning like boiling oil, 32and it leaves behind a trail of shining white foam. 33No other creature on earth is so fearless. 34It is king of all proud creatures, and it looks upon the others as nothing. Footnotes: Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). Learn more at www.cev.bible. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at www.get.bible/cev Bible Hub |