English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?

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

2Can you put a rope in 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 pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words?

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

4Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your 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 put him on a leash for your girls?

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

6Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up 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 hands on him; remember the battle—you will not do it again!

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

9Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even 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 dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?

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

11Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

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

12“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.

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

13Who can strip off his outer garment? Who would come near him with a bridle?

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

14Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.

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

15His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal.

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

16One is so near to 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 clasp each other and cannot be separated.

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 dawn.

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

19Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth.

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

20Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, 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 comes forth from his mouth.

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

22In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him.

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

23The folds of his flesh stick together, firmly cast on him and immovable.

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

24His heart is hard as a stone, 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; at the crashing they are beside themselves.

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

26Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.

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

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

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

28The arrow cannot make him flee; for him, sling stones are turned to stubble.

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

29Clubs are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rattle of javelins.

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

30His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on 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.

32Behind him he leaves a shining wake; one would think the deep to be white-haired.

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

33On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear.

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

34He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride.”

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

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

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