WEB

Job 41

God's whirlwind speech reaches its climax with one creature: Leviathan. Thirty-four verses ask Job whether he can hook it, leash it for his daughters, or sell it to merchants — then move into a catalog of its armored scales, fiery breath, stone-hard heart, and contempt for sword, spear, and arrow. Watch how the questions stop being questions. The early taunts ('Will you play with him as with a bird?') give way to flat description, until the closing line crowns the beast 'king over all the sons of pride' — the real target of the whole tour.

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Job 41 (WEB)

1
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
2
Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3
Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
4
Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
5
Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
6
Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?
7
Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?
8
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9
Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10
None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
11
Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.
12
“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13
Who can strip off his outer garment? Who will come within his jaws?
14
Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
15
Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.
16
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17
They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.
18
His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19
Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out.
20
Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
21
His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.
22
There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.
23
The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved.
24
His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
25
When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
26
If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27
He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
28
The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
29
Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
30
His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
31
He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32
He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.
33
On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.
34
He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”

Job 41 (RV1909)

1
¿SACARÁS tú al leviathán con el anzuelo, ó con la cuerda que le echares en su lengua?
2
¿Pondrás tú garfio en sus narices, y horadarás con espinas su quijada?
3
¿Multiplicará él ruegos para contigo? ¿hablaráte él lisonjas?
4
¿Hará concierto contigo para que lo tomes por siervo perpetuo?
5
¿Jugarás tú con él como con pájaro, ó lo atarás para tus niñas?
6
¿Harán de él banquete los compañeros? ¿partiránlo entre los mercaderes?
7
¿Cortarás tú con cuchillo su cuero, ó con asta de pescadores su cabeza?
8
Pon tu mano sobre él; te acordarás de la batalla, y nunca más tornarás.
9
He aquí que la esperanza acerca de él será burlada: porque aun á su sola vista se desmayarán.
10
Nadie hay tan osado que lo despierte: ¿quién pues podrá estar delante de mí?
11
¿Quién me ha anticipado, para que yo restituya? Todo lo que hay debajo del cielo es mío.
12
Yo no callaré sus miembros, ni lo de sus fuerzas y la gracia de su disposición.
13
¿Quién descubrirá la delantera de su vestidura? ¿quién se llegará á él con freno doble?
14
¿Quién abrirá las puertas de su rostro? Los órdenes de sus dientes espantan.
15
La gloria de su vestido son escudos fuertes, cerrados entre sí estrechamente.
16
El uno se junta con el otro, que viento no entra entre ellos.
17
Pegado está el uno con el otro, están trabados entre sí, que no se pueden apartar.
18
Con sus estornudos encienden lumbre, y sus ojos son como los párpados del alba.
19
De su boca salen hachas de fuego; centellas de fuego proceden.
20
De sus narices sale humo, como de una olla ó caldero que hierve.
21
Su aliento enciende los carbones, y de su boca sale llama.
22
En su cerviz mora la fortaleza, y espárcese el desaliento delante de él.
23
Las partes momias de su carne están apretadas: están en él firmes, y no se mueven.
24
Su corazón es firme como una piedra, y fuerte como la muela de abajo.
25
De su grandeza tienen temor los fuertes, y á causa de su desfallecimiento hacen por purificarse.
26
Cuando alguno lo alcanzare, ni espada, ni lanza, ni dardo, ni coselete durará.
27
El hierro estima por pajas, y el acero por leño podrido.
28
Saeta no le hace huir; las piedras de honda se le tornan aristas.
29
Tiene toda arma por hojarascas, y del blandir de la pica se burla.
30
Por debajo tiene agudas conchas; Imprime su agudez en el suelo.
31
Hace hervir como una olla la profunda mar, y tórnala como una olla de ungüento.
32
En pos de sí hace resplandecer la senda, que parece que la mar es cana.
33
No hay sobre la tierra su semejante, hecho para nada temer.
34
Menosprecia toda cosa alta: es rey sobre todos los soberbios.

From hook to throne

The chapter turns on verse 10's pivot: no one dares rouse Leviathan, 'who then is he who can stand before me?' The unmasterable creature becomes a mirror — if Job cannot face the beast, the argument runs, how does he expect to arraign its Maker?

The portrait of fearless pride that closes Job 41 sets up Job's answer in chapter 42. Having been shown a thing he cannot tame, Job will stop demanding a verdict and instead retract his case.

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Job overview

How Job speaks about suffering, protest, patience, limits, and the danger of shallow explanations.

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Hope

In the New Testament hope is not wishful thinking but a confident grip on what God has promised. Trace it from Romans through Peter and Hebrews and you find it anchored in the risen Christ.

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In Scripture wisdom is less a stockpile of facts than a way of living rightly before God. From Proverbs to James, it begins with the fear of the LORD and shows up in how you treat people and time.

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