The LORD continues

Can you catch a sea monster?

1Can you catch a sea monster41.1 sea monster: The Hebrew text has “Leviathan”, which may refer to a sea monster or possibly to a crocodile in this verse (see the note at 3.8).41.1: Ps 74.14; 104.26; Is 27.1.

by using a fish-hook?

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 with 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 armour

or bring it under control

with a harness?

14Who would try to open its jaws,

full of fearsome teeth?

15-17Its back41.15-17 back: Two ancient translations; Hebrew “pride”. is covered

with shield after shield,

firmly bound and closer together

than breath to breath.

When this monster sneezes

18When 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 powerful41.25 most powerful: Or “gods”.

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.

28Stones 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.