Job 39
1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? dost thou mark the calving of the hinds?
“Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?
2 Dost thou number the months that they fulfil? and knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth?
3 They bow themselves, they give birth to their young ones, they cast out their pains;
They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.
4 Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go forth, and return not unto them.
Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? and who hath loosed the bands of the onager,
Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
6 Whose house I made the wilderness, and the salt plain his dwellings?
I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling.
7 He laugheth at the tumult of the city, and heareth not the shouts of the driver;
He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.
9 Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?
Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?
10 Canst thou bind the buffalo with his cord in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Wilt thou put confidence in him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?
12 Wilt thou trust him to bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy threshing-floor?
Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
13 The wing of the ostrich beats joyously — But is it the stork's pinion and plumage?
The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.
14 For she leaveth her eggs to the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,
For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand.
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may trample them.
She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them.
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labour is in vain, without her concern.
She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain.
17 For God hath deprived her of wisdom, and hath not furnished her with understanding.
For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.
18 What time she lasheth herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.
19 Hast thou given strength to the horse? hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?
Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?
20 Dost thou make him to leap as a locust? His majestic snorting is terrible.
Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in [his] strength; he goeth forth to meet the armed host.
He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle.
22 He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from before the sword.
He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth upon him, the glittering spear and the javelin.
A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance.
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, and cannot contain himself at the sound of the trumpet:
Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds.
25 At the noise of the trumpets he saith, Aha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
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.
26 Doth the hawk fly by thine intelligence, [and] stretch his wings toward the south?
Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?
27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make his nest on high?
Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high?
28 He inhabiteth the rock and maketh his dwelling on the point of the cliff, and the fastness:
He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag.
29 From thence he spieth out the prey, his eyes look into the distance;
From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.
30 And his young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is he.
His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.”
