| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? | 1Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie his tongue down with a rope? |
| 2Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? | 2Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? |
| 3Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? | 3Will he beg you for mercy or speak softly to you? |
| 4Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? | 4Will he make a covenant with you so that you can take him as a slave forever? |
| 5Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? | 5Can you play with him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls? |
| 6Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? | 6Will traders bargain for him or divide him among the merchants? |
| 7Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? | 7Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? |
| 8Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. | 8Lay a hand on him. You will remember the battle and never repeat it! |
| 9Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? | 9Any hope of capturing him proves false. Does a person not collapse at the very sight of him? |
| 10None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? | 10No one is ferocious enough to rouse Leviathan; who then can stand against Me? |
| 11Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. | 11Who confronted Me, that I should repay him? Everything under heaven belongs to Me. |
| 12I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. | 12I cannot be silent about his limbs, his power, and his graceful proportions. |
| 13Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? | 13Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can penetrate his double layer of armor? |
| 14Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. | 14Who can open his jaws, surrounded by those terrifying teeth? |
| 15His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close 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 stick together, that they cannot be sundered. | 17They are joined to one another, so closely connected they cannot be separated. |
| 18By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. | 18His snorting flashes with light, while his eyes are like the rays of dawn. |
| 19Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. | 19Flaming torches shoot from his mouth; fiery sparks fly out! |
| 20Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. | 20Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot or burning reeds. |
| 21His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. | 21His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour out of his mouth. |
| 22In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. | 22Strength resides in his neck, and dismay dances before him. |
| 23The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. | 23The folds of his flesh are joined together, solid as metal and immovable. |
| 24His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. | 24His heart is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone! |
| 25When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. | 25When Leviathan rises, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw because of his thrashing. |
| 26The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. | 26The sword that reaches him will have no effect, nor will a spear, dart, or arrow. |
| 27He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. | 27He regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. |
| 28The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. | 28No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like stubble to him. |
| 29Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. | 29A club is regarded as stubble, and he laughs at the sound of a javelin. |
| 30Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. | 30His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading the mud like a threshing sledge. |
| 31He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. | 31He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like an ointment jar. |
| 32He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. | 32He leaves a shining wake behind him; one would think the deep had gray hair! |
| 33Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. | 33He has no equal on earth-- a creature devoid of fear! |
| 34He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. | 34He surveys everything that is haughty; he is king over all the proud beasts. |
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