Job 39
1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
Have you knowledge of the rock-goats? or do you see the roes giving birth to their young?
2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
Is the number of their months fixed by you? or is the time when they give birth ordered by you?
3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they cast out their fruit.
They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body.
4 Their young ones wax strong, they grow up in the open field; they go forth, and return not again.
Their young ones are strong, living in the open country; they go out and do not come back again.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Who has let the ass of the fields go free? or made loose the bands of the loud-voiced beast?
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling-place.
To whom I have given the waste land for a heritage, and the salt land as a living-place.
7 He scorneth the tumult of the city, neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.
He makes sport of the noise of the town; the voice of the driver does not come to his ears;
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
He goes looking for his grass-lands in the mountains, searching out every green thing.
9 Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?
Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?
10 Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?
12 Wilt thou rely on him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather the corn of thy threshing-floor?
Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?
13 The wing of the ostrich beateth joyously; but are her pinions and feathers the kindly stork's?
Is the wing of the ostrich feeble, or is it because she has no feathers,
14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
That she puts her eggs on the earth, warming them in the dust,
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may trample them.
Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field?
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers; though her labour be in vain, she is without fear;
She is cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers; her work is to no purpose; she has no fear.
17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath He imparted to her understanding.
For God has taken wisdom from her mind, and given her no measure of knowledge.
18 When the time cometh, she raiseth her wings on high, and scorneth the horse and his rider.
When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him.
19 Hast thou given the horse his strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with fierceness?
Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?
20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible.
Is it through you that he is shaking like a locust, in the pride of his loud-sounding breath?
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth out to meet the clash of arms.
He is stamping with joy in the valley; he makes sport of fear.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
In his strength he goes out against the arms of war, turning not away from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth upon him, the glittering spear and the javelin.
The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.
24 He swalloweth the ground with storm and rage; neither believeth he that it is the voice of the horn.
Shaking with passion, he is biting the earth; he is not able to keep quiet at the sound of the horn;
25 As oft as he heareth the horn he saith: 'Ha, ha!' and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
When it comes to his ears he says, Aha! He is smelling the fight from far off, and hearing the thunder of the captains, and the war-cries.
26 Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south?
27 Doth the vulture mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high?
28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the stronghold.
On the rock is his house, and on the mountain-top his strong place.
29 From thence she spieth out the prey; her eyes behold it afar off.
From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is she.
His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.
