Job 39
1 Knowest thou the time when the chamois of the rock bring forth? or markest thou when the hinds do calve?
“Have you known the time of The bearing of the wild goats of the rock? Do you mark the bringing forth of does?
2 Numberest thou the months of gestation which they complete and knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
Do you number the months they fulfill? And have you known the time of their bringing forth?
3 They bend themselves: they drop their young ones; throw off their pains.
They bow down, They bring forth their young ones safely, They cast forth their pangs.
4 Their little ones become strong; they grow up in the open field; they go forth, and return not unto them.
Their young ones are safe, They grow up in the field, they have gone out, And have not returned to them.
5 Who sent out the wild ass free? or who loosened the bonds of the forest-ass?
Who has sent forth the wild donkey free? Indeed, who opened the bands of the wild donkey?
6 To whom I assigned the wilderness as his house, and the salty land as his dwellings.
Whose house I have made the wilderness, And his dwellings the barren land,
7 He laugheth at the noise of a town, and the shoutings of the driver he heareth not.
He laughs at the multitude of a city, He does not hear the cries of an exactor.
8 What he espieth on the mountains is his pasture, and after every green thing doth he search.
The range of mountains [is] his pasture, And he seeks after every green thing.
9 Will the forest-ox be willing to serve thee, or will he stay over night at thy crib?
Is a wild ox willing to serve you? Does he lodge by your crib?
10 Canst thou bind the forest-ox with a rope [to labor] in the furrow? or will he harrow valleys, following after thee?
Do you bind a wild ox in a furrow [with] his thick band? Does he harrow valleys after you?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou leave to him thy labor?
Do you trust in him because his power [is] great? And do you leave your labor to him?
12 Wilt thou confide in him, that he should bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy threshing-floor?—
Do you trust in him That he brings back your seed, And gathers [it to] your threshing-floor?
13 The wing of the ostrich moveth joyfully: hath she the pinions and plumage of the careful stork?
[The] wing of the crying ostriches exults, but as a pinion and feather of a stork?
14 [No, ] for she intrusteth her eggs to the earth, and letteth them be hatched out on the dust:
For she leaves her eggs on the earth, And she warms them on the dust,
15 And she forgetteth that a foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may stamp them down.
And she forgets that a foot may press it, And a beast of the field treads it down.
16 He hath made her callous against her young, as though they were not hers: her labor is in vain, [but she feeleth] no dread;
It has hardened her young ones without her, Her labor [is] in vain, without fear.
17 Because God hath denied her wisdom, and he hath not imparted to her understanding.
For God has caused her to forget wisdom, And He has not given a portion To her in understanding;
18 At the time she raiseth herself up on high, she laugheth at the horse and his rider.
At the time she lifts herself up on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider.
19 Dost thou give the horse strength? dost thou clothe his neck with the rolling mane?
Do you give might to the horse? Do you clothe his neck [with] a mane?
20 Canst thou make him jump like a locust? his majestic snort is terrible.
Do you cause him to rush as a locust? The splendor of his snorting [is] terrible.
21 Men spy about in the valley, and he rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth forth to meet the armed array.
They dig in a valley, and he rejoices in power, He goes forth to meet the armor.
22 He laugheth at fear, and is not dismayed; and turneth not back from before the sword.
He laughs at fear, and is not frightened, And he does not turn back from the face of the sword.
23 Over him rattle the quiver, the glittering spear and the lance.
Quiver rattles against him, The flame of a spear, and a javelin.
24 With impatient noise and rage he holloweth [with his hoof] the ground, and keepeth not quiet when the cornet's voice [is heard].
He swallows the ground with trembling and rage, And does not remain steadfast Because of the sound of a horn.
25 Midst the sound of the cornet he uttereth his joyful neigh; and from afar he perceiveth the battle, the loud call of the captains, and the battle-cry.—
Among the horns he says, Aha, And from afar he smells battle, Roaring of princes and shouting.
26 Is it through thy understanding that the hawk flieth along, and spreadeth out his wings toward the south?
By your understanding does a hawk fly? Does he spread his wings to the south?
27 Or is it by your order that the eagle doth mount upward, and buildeth high up his nest?
At your command does an eagle go up high? Or lift up his nest?
28 On a rock he dwelleth, and spendeth his nights, on a rocky crag and mountain fastness.
He inhabits a rock, Indeed, he lodges on the tooth of a rock, and fortress.
29 From there he espieth his food, from afar can his eyes behold.
From there he has sought food, His eyes look attentively to a far-off place,
30 His young ones, also, sip up blood: and where the slain be, there is he.
And his brood sucks up blood, And where the pierced [are]—there [is] he!”
