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?
Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched the birth-pains of the deer?
2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfill? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
Do you know how many months they carry their young? Do you know the time when they give birth?
3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they cast out their sorrows.
They crouch down in labor to deliver their offspring.
4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up in the open field; they go forth, and return not again,
Their young grow strong in the open countryside; they leave and never return.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Who gave the wild donkey its freedom? Who set it free from its bonds?
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place.
I have given it the wilderness as its home, the salt plains as a place to live.
7 He scorneth the tumult of the city, neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.
It despises the noise of the city; it doesn't need to listen to the shouts of a driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
It hunts in the mountains for pastureland, searching for all kinds of green plants to eat.
9 Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? or will he abide by thy crib?
Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will it spend the night at your manger?
10 Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Can you tie a wild ox to a plow? Can you make it till your fields for you?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave to him thy labour?
Because it's so powerful can you trust it? Can you depend on it to do your heavy work for you?
12 Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather [the corn of] thy threshingfloor?
Are you sure it will gather your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?
13 The wing of the ostrich rejoiceth, [but] are her pinions and feathers kindly?
The ostrich proudly flaps her wings, but they are nothing like the flight feathers of the stork.
14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,
The ostrich abandons her eggs on the ground, leaving them to be warmed in the dust.
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may trample them.
She doesn't think that they can be crushed underfoot, trampled by a wild animal.
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 tough towards her young, acting as if they didn't belong to her. She doesn't care that all her work was for nothing.
17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
For I, God, made her forget wisdom—she didn't get her share of intelligence.
18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
But when she needs to, she can jump up and run, mocking a horse and its rider with her speed.
19 Hast thou given the horse [his] might? hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?
Did you give the horse its strength? Did you place a mane upon its neck?
20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? the glory of his snorting is terrible.
Did you make it able to jump like a locust? Its loud snorting is terrifying!
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth out to meet the armed men.
It paws at the ground, rearing up with power as it charges into battle.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; neither turneth he back from the sword.
It laughs at fear; it is not frightened at all.
23 The quiver rattleth against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.
The quiver full of arrows rattles against it; the spear and the javelin flash in the sunlight.
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.
Shaking with rage it gallops across the ground; it cannot remain still when the trumpet sounds.
25 As oft as the trumpet [soundeth] he saith, Aha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Whenever the trumpet calls, it is ready; he senses the sound of battle from far away, he hears the commanders shouting.
26 Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom, [and] stretch her wings toward the south?
Is it through your wisdom that the hawk soars, spreading its wings towards the south?
27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
Do you command the eagle to fly high and make its nest in the summits of the mountains?
28 She dwelleth on the rock, and hath her lodging [there], upon the crag of the rock, and the strong hold.
It lives among the cliffs, and roosts on a remote rocky crag.
29 From thence she spieth out the prey; her eyes behold it afar off.
From there it spies its prey from far away, fixing its gaze on its victim. Its chicks eagerly swallow blood.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
Where the carcasses are, that's where birds of prey are found.”
