Job 39
1 Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched the birth-pains of the deer?
Know you the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or can you mark when the hinds do calve?
2 Do you know how many months they carry their young? Do you know the time when they give birth?
Can you number the months that they fulfill? or know you the time when they bring forth?
3 They crouch down in labor to deliver their offspring.
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
4 Their young grow strong in the open countryside; they leave and never return.
Their young ones are in good looking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
5 Who gave the wild donkey its freedom? Who set it free from its bonds?
Who has sent out the wild ass free? or who has loosed the bands of the wild ass?
6 I have given it the wilderness as its home, the salt plains as a place to live.
Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
7 It despises the noise of the city; it doesn't need to listen to the shouts of a driver.
He scorns the multitude of the city, neither regards he the crying of the driver.
8 It hunts in the mountains for pastureland, searching for all kinds of green plants to eat.
The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.
9 Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will it spend the night at your manger?
Will the unicorn (ox) be willing to serve you, or abide by your crib?
10 Can you tie a wild ox to a plow? Can you make it till your fields for you?
Can you bind the unicorn (ox) with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after you?
11 Because it's so powerful can you trust it? Can you depend on it to do your heavy work for you?
Will you trust him, because his strength is great? or will you leave your labour to him?
12 Are you sure it will gather your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?
Will you believe him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather it into your barn?
13 The ostrich proudly flaps her wings, but they are nothing like the flight feathers of the stork.
Gave you the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
14 The ostrich abandons her eggs on the ground, leaving them to be warmed in the dust.
Which left her eggs in the earth, and warms them in dust,
15 She doesn't think that they can be crushed underfoot, trampled by a wild animal.
And forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
16 She is tough towards her young, acting as if they didn't belong to her. She doesn't care that all her work was for nothing.
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: her labour is in vain without fear;
17 For I, God, made her forget wisdom—she didn't get her share of intelligence.
Because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.
18 But when she needs to, she can jump up and run, mocking a horse and its rider with her speed.
What time she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
19 Did you give the horse its strength? Did you place a mane upon its neck?
Have you given the horse strength? have you clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Did you make it able to jump like a locust? Its loud snorting is terrifying!
Can you make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
21 It paws at the ground, rearing up with power as it charges into battle.
He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength: he goes on to meet the armed men.
22 It laughs at fear; it is not frightened at all.
He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turns he back from the sword.
23 The quiver full of arrows rattles against it; the spear and the javelin flash in the sunlight.
The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
24 Shaking with rage it gallops across the ground; it cannot remain still when the trumpet sounds.
He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believes he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
25 Whenever the trumpet calls, it is ready; he senses the sound of battle from far away, he hears the commanders shouting.
He says among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smells the battle far off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 Is it through your wisdom that the hawk soars, spreading its wings towards the south?
Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
27 Do you command the eagle to fly high and make its nest in the summits of the mountains?
Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make her nest on high?
28 It lives among the cliffs, and roosts on a remote rocky crag.
She dwells and abides on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
29 From there it spies its prey from far away, fixing its gaze on its victim. Its chicks eagerly swallow blood.
From thence she seeks the prey, and her eyes behold far off.
30 Where the carcasses are, that's where birds of prey are found.”
Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
