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 at what time the wild goats have given birth among the rocks, or do you observe the deer when they go into labor?
2 Dost thou number the months that they fulfil? and knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
Have you numbered the months since their conception, and do you know at what time they gave birth?
3 They bow themselves, they give birth to their young ones, they cast out their pains;
They bend themselves for their offspring, and they give birth, and they emit roars.
4 Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go forth, and return not unto them.
Their young are weaned and go out to feed; they depart and do not return to them.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? and who hath loosed the bands of the onager,
Who has set the wild ass free, and who has released his bonds?
6 Whose house I made the wilderness, and the salt plain his dwellings?
I have given a house in solitude to him, and his tabernacle is in the salted land.
7 He laugheth at the tumult of the city, and heareth not the shouts of the driver;
He despises the crowded city; he does not pay attention to the bellow of the tax collector.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
He looks around the mountains of his pasture, and he searches everywhere for green plants.
9 Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?
Will the rhinoceros be willing to serve you, and will he remain in your stall?
10 Canst thou bind the buffalo with his cord in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Can you detain the rhinoceros with your harness to plough for you, and will he loosen the soil of the furrows behind you?
11 Wilt thou put confidence in him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
Will you put your faith in his great strength, and delegate your labors to him?
12 Wilt thou trust him to bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy threshing-floor?
Will you trust him to return to you the seed, and to gather it on your drying floor?
13 The wing of the ostrich beats joyously — But is it the stork's pinion and plumage?
The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.
14 For she leaveth her eggs to the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,
When she leaves eggs behind in the earth, will you perhaps warm them in the dust?
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may trample them.
She forgets that feet may trample them, or that the beasts of the field may shatter them.
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labour is in vain, without her concern.
She is hardened against her young, as if they were not hers; she has labored in vain, with no fear compelling her.
17 For God hath deprived her of wisdom, and hath not furnished her with understanding.
For God has deprived her of wisdom; neither has he given her understanding.
18 What time she lasheth herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
Yet, when the time is right, she raises her wings on high; she ridicules the horse and his rider.
19 Hast thou given strength to the horse? hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?
Will you supply strength to the horse, or envelope his throat with neighing?
20 Dost thou make him to leap as a locust? His majestic snorting is terrible.
Will you alarm him as the locusts do? His panic is revealed by the display of his nostrils.
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in [his] strength; he goeth forth to meet the armed host.
He digs at the earth with his hoof; he jumps around boldly; he advances to meet armed men.
22 He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from before the sword.
He despises fear; he does not turn away from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth upon him, the glittering spear and the javelin.
Above him, the quiver rattles, the spear and the shield shake.
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, and cannot contain himself at the sound of the trumpet:
Seething and raging, he drinks up the earth; neither does he pause when the blast of the trumpet 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.
When he hears the bugle, he says, “Ha!” He smells the battle from a distance, the exhortation of the officers, and the battle cry of the soldiers.
26 Doth the hawk fly by thine intelligence, [and] stretch his wings toward the south?
Does the hawk grow feathers by means of your wisdom, spreading her wings towards the south?
27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make his nest on high?
Will the eagle lift herself up at your command and make her nest in steep places?
28 He inhabiteth the rock and maketh his dwelling on the point of the cliff, and the fastness:
She dwells among the rocks, and she lingers among broken boulders and inaccessible cliffs.
29 From thence he spieth out the prey, his eyes look into the distance;
From there, she looks for food, and her eyes catch sight of it from far away.
30 And his young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is he.
Her young will drink blood, and wherever the carcass will be, she is there immediately.
