Job 39
1 “Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?
Whethir thou knowist the tyme of birthe of wielde geet in stoonys, ethir hast thou aspied hyndis bryngynge forth calues?
2 Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth?
Hast thou noumbrid the monethis of her conseyuyng, and hast thou knowe the tyme of her caluyng?
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.
Tho ben bowid to the calf, and caluen; and senden out roryngis.
4 Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.
Her calues ben departid, and goen to pasture; tho goen out, and turnen not ayen to `tho hyndis.
5 Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
Who let go the wielde asse fre, and who loside the boondis of hym?
6 I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling.
To whom Y haue youe an hows in wildirnesse, and the tabernacles of hym in the lond of saltnesse.
7 He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver.
He dispisith the multitude of citee; he herith not the cry of an axere.
8 He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.
He lokith aboute the hillis of his lesewe, and he sekith alle greene thingis.
9 Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?
Whether an vnycorn schal wilne serue thee, ethir schal dwelle at thi cratche?
10 Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?
Whether thou schalt bynde the vnicorn with thi chayne, for to ere, ethir schal he breke the clottis of valeis aftir thee?
11 Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?
Whether thou schalt haue trist in his grete strengthe, and schalt thou leeue to hym thi traueils?
12 Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
Whether thou schalt bileue to hym, that he schal yelde seed to thee, and schal gadere togidere thi cornfloor?
13 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.
The fethere of an ostriche is lijk the fetheris of a gerfawcun, and of an hauk;
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand.
which ostrige forsakith hise eirun in the erthe, in hap thou schalt make tho hoot in the dust.
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them.
He foryetith, that a foot tredith tho, ethir that a beeste of the feeld al tobrekith tho.
16 She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain.
He is maad hard to hise briddis, as if thei ben not hise; he traueilide in veyn, while no drede constreynede.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.
For God hath priued hym fro wisdom, and `yaf not vnderstondyng to hym.
18 Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.
Whanne tyme is, he reisith the wengis an hiy; he scorneth the hors, and his ridere.
19 Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?
Whether thou schalt yyue strengthe to an hors, ether schal yyue neiyng `aboute his necke?
20 Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?
Whether thou schalt reyse hym as locustis? The glorie of hise nosethirlis is drede.
21 He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle.
He diggith erthe with the foot, he `fulli ioieth booldli; he goith ayens armed men.
22 He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword.
He dispisith ferdfulnesse, and he yyueth not stide to swerd.
23 A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance.
An arowe caas schal sowne on hym; a spere and scheeld schal florische.
24 Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds.
He is hoot, and gnastith, and swolewith the erthe; and he arettith not that the crie of the trumpe sowneth.
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.
Whanne he herith a clarioun, he `seith, Joie! he smellith batel afer; the excityng of duykis, and the yellyng of the oost.
26 Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?
Whether an hauk spredinge abrood hise wyngis to the south, bigynneth to haue fetheris bi thi wisdom?
27 Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high?
Whether an egle schal be reisid at thi comaundement, and schal sette his nest in hiy places?
28 He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag.
He dwellith in stoonys, and he dwellith in flyntis brokun bifor, and in rochis, to whiche `me may not neiye.
29 From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.
Fro thennus he biholdith mete, and hise iyen loken fro fer.
30 His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.”
Hise briddis souken blood, and where euere a careyn is, anoon he is present.
