¹Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

¹Ingen er så djerv at han tør tirre den; hvem tør da sette sig op imot mig?

²Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

²Hvem gav mig noget først, så jeg skulde gi ham vederlag? Alt under himmelen hører mig til.

³Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee?

³Jeg vil ikke tie om dens lemmer, om dens store styrke og dens fagre bygning.

⁴Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?

⁴Hvem har dradd dens klædning av? Hvem tør komme innenfor dens dobbelte rad av tenner?

⁵Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

⁵Hvem har åpnet dens kjevers dør? Rundt om dens tenner er redsel.

⁶Will the bands [of fishermen] make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants?

⁶Stolte er skjoldenes rader; hvert av dem er tillukket som med et fast segl.

⁷Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?

⁷De ligger tett innpå hverandre, og ingen luft trenger inn imellem dem.

⁸Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.

⁸Det ene skjold henger fast ved det andre; de griper inn i hverandre og skilles ikke at.

⁹Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

⁹Når den nyser, stråler det frem lys, og dens øine er som morgenrødens øielokk.

¹⁰None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me?

¹⁰Bluss farer ut av dens gap, gnister spruter frem.

¹¹Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine.

¹¹Fra dens nesebor kommer røk som av en gryte som koker over siv.

¹²I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.

¹²Dens ånde tender kull i brand, og luer går ut av dens gap.

¹³Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?

¹³På dens hals har styrken sin bolig, og angsten springer foran den.

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

¹⁴Dens doglapper sitter fast; de er som støpt på den og rører sig ikke.

¹⁵[His] strong scales are [his] pride, Shut up together [as with] a close seal.

¹⁵Dens hjerte er fast som sten, fast som den underste kvernsten.

¹⁶One is so near to another, That no air can come between them.

¹⁶Når den hever sig, gruer helter; av redsel mister de sans og samling.

¹⁷They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered.

¹⁷Rammes den med sverd, så biter det ikke på den, heller ikke lanse, pil eller kastespyd.

¹⁸His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

¹⁸Den akter jern som strå, kobber som ormstukket tre.

¹⁹Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth.

¹⁹Buens sønn* jager den ikke på flukt; slyngens stener blir som halm for den. / {* pilen.}

²⁰Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, As of a boiling pot and [burning] rushes.

²⁰Stridsklubber aktes som halm, og den ler av det susende spyd.

²¹His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.

²¹På dens buk sitter skarpe skår, den gjør spor i dyndet som efter en treskeslede.

²²In his neck abideth strength, And terror danceth before him.

²²Den får dypet til å koke som en gryte; den får havet til å skumme som en salvekokers kjele.

²³The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved.

²³Efter den lyser dens sti; dypet synes å ha sølvhår.

²⁴His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone.

²⁴Det er intet på jorden som er herre over den; den er skapt til ikke å reddes.

²⁵When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.

²⁵Alt som er høit, ser den i øiet; den er en konge over alle stolte dyr.

²⁶If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.

²⁷He counteth iron as straw, [And] brass as rotten wood.

²⁸The arrow cannot make him flee: Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble.

²⁹Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.

³⁰His underparts are [like] sharp potsherds: He spreadeth [as it were] a threshing-wain upon the mire.

³¹He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

³²He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary.

³³Upon earth there is not his like, That is made without fear.

³⁴He beholdeth everything that is high: He is king over all the sons of pride.