Job 39
1 “Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?
Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?
2 Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth?
Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.
They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.
4 Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.
Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.
5 Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?
6 I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling.
To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.
7 He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver.
He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.
8 He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.
He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing.
9 Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?
Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?
10 Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?
Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?
11 Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?
Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?
12 Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?
13 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.
The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand.
When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them.
She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.
16 She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain.
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.
For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.
18 Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.
When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?
Wilt thou give strength to the horse, or clothe his neck with neighing?
20 Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?
Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.
21 He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle.
He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.
22 He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword.
He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword,
23 A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance.
Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.
24 Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds.
Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.
25 At the blast of the horn, he snorts with fervor. He catches the scent of battle from afar— the shouts of captains and the cry of war.
When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.
26 Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?
Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?
27 Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high?
Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?
28 He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag.
She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.
29 From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.
From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
30 His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.”
Her young ones shall suck up blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.
