< 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?
[Say] if you know the time of the bringing forth of the wild goats of the rock, and [if] you have marked the calving of the hinds:
2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
and [if] you has have numbered the full months of their being with young, and [if] you have relieved their pangs:
3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
and have reared their young without fear; and will you loosen their pangs?
4 Their young ones are become strong, they grow strong with grain; they go forth, and return not to them.
Their young will break forth; they will be multiplied with offspring: [their young] will go forth, and will not return to them.
5 Who hath sent out the wild donkey free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild donkey?
And who is he that sent forth the wild ass free? and who loosed his bands?
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
whereas I made his habitation the wilderness, and the salt land his coverts.
7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
He laughs to scorn the multitude of the city, and hears not the chiding of the tax-gatherer.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
He will survey the mountains [as] his pasture, and he seeks after every green thing.
9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
And will the unicorn be willing to serve you, or to lie down at your manger?
10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
And will you bind his yoke with thongs, or will he plough furrows for you in the plain?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
And do you trust him, because his strength is great? and will you commit your works to him?
12 Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
And will you believe that he will return to you your seed, and bring [it] in [to] your threshing floor?
13 Gavest thou the goodly wings to the peacocks? or wings and feathers to the ostrich?
The peacock has a beautiful wing: if the stork and the ostrich conceive, [it is worthy of notice],
14 Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,
for [the ostrich] will leave her eggs in the ground, and warm them on the dust,
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
and has forgotten that the foot will scatter them, and the wild beasts of the field trample them.
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
She has hardened [herself] against her young ones, as though [she bereaved] not herself: she labours in vain without fear.
17 Because God hath withheld wisdom from her, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
For God has withholden wisdom from her, and not given her a portion in understanding.
18 When she lifteth herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
In her season she will lift herself on high; she will scorn the horse and his rider.
19 Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Hast you invested the horse with strength, and clothed his neck with terror?
20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
And have you clad him in perfect armour, and made his breast glorious with courage?
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
He paws exulting in the plain, and goes forth in strength into the plain.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; neither turneth he back from the sword.
He laughs to scorn a king as he meets him, and will by no means turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
The bow and sword resound against him; and [his] rage will swallow up the ground:
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
and he will not believe until the trumpet sounds.
25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
And when the trumpet sounds, he says, Aha! and afar off he smells the war with prancing and neighing.
26 Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
And does the hawk remain steady by your wisdom, having spread out her wings unmoved, looking towards the region of the south?
27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
And does the eagle rise at your command, and the vulture remain sitting over his nest,
28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
on a crag of a rock, and in a secret [place]?
29 From there she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
Thence he seeks food, his eyes observe from far.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
And his young ones roll themselves in blood, and wherever the carcasses may be, immediately they are found.