Job 39
1 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?
“Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?
2 Can you count the months that they fulfil? Or do you know the time when they give birth?
Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth?
3 They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labour pains.
They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.
4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.
5 “Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
6 whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?
I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling.
7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting 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. He searches after every green thing.
He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.
9 “Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?
10 Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till 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 to him your labour?
Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?
12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?
Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.
14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the 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 animal may trample them.
She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them.
16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labour is in vain, she is 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 When 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 might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?
20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.
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 out 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 dismayed, neither does he turn 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 flashing spear and the javelin.
A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance.
24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar 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 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings towards the south?
Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?
Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high?
28 On the cliff he dwells and makes his home, on the point of the cliff and the stronghold.
He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag.
29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.
From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.
30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.”
