< Job 39 >

1 Know you the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or can you mark when the hinds do calve?
“Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill? or know you 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 bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.
4 Their young ones are in good looking, they grow up with corn; 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 has sent out the wild ass free? or who has loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling.
7 He scorns the multitude of the city, neither regards he the crying 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 searches after every green thing.
He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.
9 Will the unicorn (ox) be willing to serve you, or abide by your crib?
Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?
10 Can you bind the unicorn (ox) with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after you?
Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? or will you leave your labour to him?
Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?
12 Will you believe him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather it into your barn?
Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
13 Gave you the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.
14 Which left her eggs in the earth, and warms them in dust,
For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand.
15 And forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break 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 her's: her labour is in vain without fear;
She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain.
17 Because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.
For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.
18 What time she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.
19 Have you given the horse strength? have you clothed his neck with thunder?
Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?
20 Can you make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength: he goes on to meet the armed men.
He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turns he back from the sword.
He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance.
24 He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believes he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds.
25 He says among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smells the battle far 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 Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make her nest on high?
Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high?
28 She dwells and abides on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag.
29 From thence she seeks the prey, and her eyes behold far off.
From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.”

< Job 39 >