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?
Whethir thou knowist the tyme of birthe of wielde geet in stoonys, ethir hast thou aspied hyndis bryngynge forth calues?
2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
Hast thou noumbrid the monethis of her conseyuyng, and hast thou knowe the tyme of her caluyng?
3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they cast out their fruit.
Tho ben bowid to the calf, and caluen; and senden out roryngis.
4 Their young ones wax strong, they grow up in the open field; they go forth, and return not again.
Her calues ben departid, and goen to pasture; tho goen out, and turnen not ayen to `tho hyndis.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Who let go the wielde asse fre, and who loside the boondis of hym?
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling-place.
To whom Y haue youe an hows in wildirnesse, and the tabernacles of hym in the lond of saltnesse.
7 He scorneth the tumult of the city, neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.
He dispisith the multitude of citee; he herith not the cry of an axere.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
He lokith aboute the hillis of his lesewe, and he sekith alle greene thingis.
9 Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?
Whether an vnycorn schal wilne serue thee, ethir schal dwelle at thi cratche?
10 Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Whether thou schalt bynde the vnicorn with thi chayne, for to ere, ethir schal he breke the clottis of valeis aftir thee?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
Whether thou schalt haue trist in his grete strengthe, and schalt thou leeue to hym thi traueils?
12 Wilt thou rely on him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather the corn of thy threshing-floor?
Whether thou schalt bileue to hym, that he schal yelde seed to thee, and schal gadere togidere thi cornfloor?
13 The wing of the ostrich beateth joyously; but are her pinions and feathers the kindly stork's?
The fethere of an ostriche is lijk the fetheris of a gerfawcun, and of an hauk;
14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
which ostrige forsakith hise eirun in the erthe, in hap thou schalt make tho hoot in the dust.
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may trample them.
He foryetith, that a foot tredith tho, ethir that a beeste of the feeld al tobrekith tho.
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers; though her labour be in vain, she is without fear;
He is maad hard to hise briddis, as if thei ben not hise; he traueilide in veyn, while no drede constreynede.
17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath He imparted to her understanding.
For God hath priued hym fro wisdom, and `yaf not vnderstondyng to hym.
18 When the time cometh, she raiseth her wings on high, and scorneth the horse and his rider.
Whanne tyme is, he reisith the wengis an hiy; he scorneth the hors, and his ridere.
19 Hast thou given the horse his strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with fierceness?
Whether thou schalt yyue strengthe to an hors, ether schal yyue neiyng `aboute his necke?
20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible.
Whether thou schalt reyse hym as locustis? The glorie of hise nosethirlis is drede.
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth out to meet the clash of arms.
He diggith erthe with the foot, he `fulli ioieth booldli; he goith ayens armed men.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
He dispisith ferdfulnesse, and he yyueth not stide to swerd.
23 The quiver rattleth upon him, the glittering spear and the javelin.
An arowe caas schal sowne on hym; a spere and scheeld schal florische.
24 He swalloweth the ground with storm and rage; neither believeth he that it is the voice of the horn.
He is hoot, and gnastith, and swolewith the erthe; and he arettith not that the crie of the trumpe sowneth.
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.
Whanne he herith a clarioun, he `seith, Joie! he smellith batel afer; the excityng of duykis, and the yellyng of the oost.
26 Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
Whether an hauk spredinge abrood hise wyngis to the south, bigynneth to haue fetheris bi thi wisdom?
27 Doth the vulture mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
Whether an egle schal be reisid at thi comaundement, and schal sette his nest in hiy places?
28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the stronghold.
He dwellith in stoonys, and he dwellith in flyntis brokun bifor, and in rochis, to whiche `me may not neiye.
29 From thence she spieth out the prey; her eyes behold it afar off.
Fro thennus he biholdith mete, and hise iyen loken fro fer.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is she.
Hise briddis souken blood, and where euere a careyn is, anoon he is present.
