The Bible
תִּמְשֹׁ֣ךְ לִוְיָתָ֣ן בְּחַכָּ֑ה וּ֝בְחֶ֗בֶל תַּשְׁקִ֥יעַ לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃
“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?
Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
הֲתָשִׂ֣ים אַגְמ֣וֹן בְּאַפּ֑וֹ וּ֝בְח֗וֹחַ תִּקּ֥וֹב לֶֽחֱיוֹ׃
Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
הֲיַרְבֶּ֣ה אֵ֭לֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִ֑ים אִם־יְדַבֵּ֖ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ רַכּֽוֹת׃
Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
הֲיִכְרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֣ית עִמָּ֑ךְ תִּ֝קָּחֶ֗נּוּ לְעֶ֣בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃
Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life?
Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־בּ֭וֹ כַּצִּפּ֑וֹר וְ֝תִקְשְׁרֶ֗נּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
יִכְר֣וּ עָ֭לָיו חַבָּרִ֑ים יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ בֵּ֣ין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
הַֽתְמַלֵּ֣א בְשֻׂכּ֣וֹת עוֹר֑וֹ וּבְצִלְצַ֖ל דָּגִ֣ים רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
שִׂים־עָלָ֥יו כַּפֶּ֑ךָ זְכֹ֥ר מִ֝לְחָמָ֗ה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף׃
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!
Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
הֵן־תֹּחַלְתּ֥וֹ נִכְזָ֑בָה הֲגַ֖ם אֶל־מַרְאָ֣יו יֻטָֽל׃
Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?
Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
לֹֽא־אַ֭כְזָר כִּ֣י יְעוּרֶ֑נּוּ וּמִ֥י ה֝֗וּא לְפָנַ֥י יִתְיַצָּֽב׃
No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan. Then who is able to stand against Me?
None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
מִ֣י הִ֭קְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם לִי־הֽוּא׃
Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
(לא) [לֽוֹ] ־אַחֲרִ֥ישׁ בַּדָּ֑יו וּדְבַר־גְּ֝בוּר֗וֹת וְחִ֣ין עֶרְכּֽוֹ׃
I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form.
I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
מִֽי־גִ֭לָּה פְּנֵ֣י לְבוּשׁ֑וֹ בְּכֶ֥פֶל רִ֝סְנ֗וֹ מִ֣י יָבֽוֹא׃
Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle?
Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
דַּלְתֵ֣י פָ֭נָיו מִ֣י פִתֵּ֑חַ סְבִיב֖וֹת שִׁנָּ֣יו אֵימָֽה׃
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
גַּ֭אֲוָה אֲפִיקֵ֣י מָֽגִנִּ֑ים סָ֝ג֗וּר חוֹתָ֥ם צָֽר׃
His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together.
His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
אֶחָ֣ד בְּאֶחָ֣ד יִגַּ֑שׁוּ וְ֝ר֗וּחַ לֹא־יָב֥וֹא בֵֽינֵיהֶֽם׃
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֥יהוּ יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ יִ֝תְלַכְּד֗וּ וְלֹ֣א יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃
They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
עֲֽ֭טִישֹׁתָיו תָּ֣הֶל א֑וֹר וְ֝עֵינָ֗יו כְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃
His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
מִ֭פִּיו לַפִּידִ֣ים יַהֲלֹ֑כוּ כִּיד֥וֹדֵי אֵ֝֗שׁ יִתְמַלָּֽטוּ׃
Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth!
Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
מִ֭נְּחִירָיו יֵצֵ֣א עָשָׁ֑ן כְּד֖וּד נָפ֣וּחַ וְאַגְמֹֽן׃
Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
נַ֭פְשׁוֹ גֶּחָלִ֣ים תְּלַהֵ֑ט וְ֝לַ֗הַב מִפִּ֥יו יֵצֵֽא׃
His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.
His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
בְּֽ֭צַוָּארוֹ יָלִ֣ין עֹ֑ז וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו תָּד֥וּץ דְּאָבָֽה׃
Strength resides in his neck, and dismay leaps before him.
In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
מַפְּלֵ֣י בְשָׂר֣וֹ דָבֵ֑קוּ יָצ֥וּק עָ֝לָ֗יו בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
לִ֭בּוֹ יָצ֣וּק כְּמוֹ־אָ֑בֶן וְ֝יָצ֗וּק כְּפֶ֣לַח תַּחְתִּֽית׃
His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!
His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
מִ֭שֵּׂתוֹ יָג֣וּרוּ אֵלִ֑ים מִ֝שְּׁבָרִ֗ים יִתְחַטָּֽאוּ׃
When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing.
When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
מַשִּׂיגֵ֣הוּ חֶ֭רֶב בְּלִ֣י תָק֑וּם חֲנִ֖ית מַסָּ֣ע וְשִׁרְיָֽה׃
The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.
The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
יַחְשֹׁ֣ב לְתֶ֣בֶן בַּרְזֶ֑ל לְעֵ֖ץ רִקָּב֣וֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃
He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
לֹֽא־יַבְרִיחֶ֥נּוּ בֶן־קָ֑שֶׁת לְ֝קַ֗שׁ נֶהְפְּכוּ־ל֥וֹ אַבְנֵי־קָֽלַע׃
No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him.
The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
כְּ֭קַשׁ נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ תוֹתָ֑ח וְ֝יִשְׂחַ֗ק לְרַ֣עַשׁ כִּידֽוֹן׃
A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.
Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
תַּ֭חְתָּיו חַדּ֣וּדֵי חָ֑רֶשׂ יִרְפַּ֖ד חָר֣וּץ עֲלֵי־טִֽיט׃
His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.
Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
יַרְתִּ֣יחַ כַּסִּ֣יר מְצוּלָ֑ה יָ֝֗ם יָשִׂ֥ים כַּמֶּרְקָחָֽה׃
He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
אַ֭חֲרָיו יָאִ֣יר נָתִ֑יב יַחְשֹׁ֖ב תְּה֣וֹם לְשֵׂיבָֽה׃
He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair!
He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
אֵֽין־עַל־עָפָ֥ר מָשְׁל֑וֹ הֶ֝עָשׂ֗וּ לִבְלִי־חָֽת׃
Nothing on earth is his equal—a creature devoid of fear!
Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
אֵֽת־כָּל־גָּבֹ֥הַּ יִרְאֶ֑ה ה֝֗וּא מֶ֣לֶךְ עַל־כָּל־בְּנֵי־שָֽׁחַץ׃
He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all the proud.”
He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.