The LORD’s Power Shown in Leviathan
תִּמְשֹׁ֣ךְ לִוְיָתָ֣ן בְּחַכָּ֑ה וּ֝בְחֶ֗בֶל תַּשְׁקִ֥יעַ לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃
“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope?
הֲתָשִׂ֣ים אַגְמ֣וֹן בְּאַפּ֑וֹ וּ֝בְח֗וֹחַ תִּקּ֥וֹב לֶֽחֱיוֹ׃
Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
הֲיַרְבֶּ֣ה אֵ֭לֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִ֑ים אִם־יְדַבֵּ֖ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ רַכּֽוֹת׃
Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
הֲיִכְרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֣ית עִמָּ֑ךְ תִּ֝קָּחֶ֗נּוּ לְעֶ֣בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃
Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life?
הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־בּ֭וֹ כַּצִּפּ֑וֹר וְ֝תִקְשְׁרֶ֗נּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
יִכְר֣וּ עָ֭לָיו חַבָּרִ֑ים יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ בֵּ֣ין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃
Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants?
הַֽתְמַלֵּ֣א בְשֻׂכּ֣וֹת עוֹר֑וֹ וּבְצִלְצַ֖ל דָּגִ֣ים רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃
Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
שִׂים־עָלָ֥יו כַּפֶּ֑ךָ זְכֹ֥ר מִ֝לְחָמָ֗ה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף׃
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!
הֵן־תֹּחַלְתּ֥וֹ נִכְזָ֑בָה הֲגַ֖ם אֶל־מַרְאָ֣יו יֻטָֽל׃
Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?
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?
מִ֣י הִ֭קְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם לִי־הֽוּא׃
Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
לֽוֹ אַחֲרִ֥ישׁ בַּדָּ֑יו וּדְבַר־גְּ֝בוּר֗וֹת וְחִ֣ין עֶרְכּֽוֹ׃
I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form.
מִֽי־גִ֭לָּה פְּנֵ֣י לְבוּשׁ֑וֹ בְּכֶ֥פֶל רִ֝סְנ֗וֹ מִ֣י יָבֽוֹא׃
Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle?
דַּלְתֵ֣י פָ֭נָיו מִ֣י פִתֵּ֑חַ סְבִיב֖וֹת שִׁנָּ֣יו אֵימָֽה׃
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
גַּ֭אֲוָה אֲפִיקֵ֣י מָֽגִנִּ֑ים סָ֝ג֗וּר חוֹתָ֥ם צָֽר׃
His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together.
אֶחָ֣ד בְּאֶחָ֣ד יִגַּ֑שׁוּ וְ֝ר֗וּחַ לֹא־יָב֥וֹא בֵֽינֵיהֶֽם׃
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.
אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֥יהוּ יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ יִ֝תְלַכְּד֗וּ וְלֹ֣א יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃
They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
עֲֽ֭טִישֹׁתָיו תָּ֣הֶל א֑וֹר וְ֝עֵינָ֗יו כְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃
His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
מִ֭פִּיו לַפִּידִ֣ים יַהֲלֹ֑כוּ כִּיד֥וֹדֵי אֵ֝֗שׁ יִתְמַלָּֽטוּ׃
Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth!
מִ֭נְּחִירָיו יֵצֵ֣א עָשָׁ֑ן כְּד֖וּד נָפ֣וּחַ וְאַגְמֹֽן׃
Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
נַ֭פְשׁוֹ גֶּחָלִ֣ים תְּלַהֵ֑ט וְ֝לַ֗הַב מִפִּ֥יו יֵצֵֽא׃
His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.
בְּֽ֭צַוָּארוֹ יָלִ֣ין עֹ֑ז וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו תָּד֥וּץ דְּאָבָֽה׃
Strength resides in his neck, and dismay leaps before him.
מַפְּלֵ֣י בְשָׂר֣וֹ דָבֵ֑קוּ יָצ֥וּק עָ֝לָ֗יו בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
לִ֭בּוֹ יָצ֣וּק כְּמוֹ־אָ֑בֶן וְ֝יָצ֗וּק כְּפֶ֣לַח תַּחְתִּֽית׃
His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone!
מִ֭שֵּׂתוֹ יָג֣וּרוּ אֵלִ֑ים מִ֝שְּׁבָרִ֗ים יִתְחַטָּֽאוּ׃
When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing.
מַשִּׂיגֵ֣הוּ חֶ֭רֶב בְּלִ֣י תָק֑וּם חֲנִ֖ית מַסָּ֣ע וְשִׁרְיָֽה׃
The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.
יַחְשֹׁ֣ב לְתֶ֣בֶן בַּרְזֶ֑ל לְעֵ֖ץ רִקָּב֣וֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃
He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
לֹֽא־יַבְרִיחֶ֥נּוּ בֶן־קָ֑שֶׁת לְ֝קַ֗שׁ נֶהְפְּכוּ־ל֥וֹ אַבְנֵי־קָֽלַע׃
No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him.
כְּ֭קַשׁ נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ תוֹתָ֑ח וְ֝יִשְׂחַ֗ק לְרַ֣עַשׁ כִּידֽוֹן׃
A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.
תַּ֭חְתָּיו חַדּ֣וּדֵי חָ֑רֶשׂ יִרְפַּ֖ד חָר֣וּץ עֲלֵי־טִֽיט׃
His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.
יַרְתִּ֣יחַ כַּסִּ֣יר מְצוּלָ֑ה יָ֝֗ם יָשִׂ֥ים כַּמֶּרְקָחָֽה׃
He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
אַ֭חֲרָיו יָאִ֣יר נָתִ֑יב יַחְשֹׁ֖ב תְּה֣וֹם לְשֵׂיבָֽה׃
He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair!