Job 39
1 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?
Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?
2 Can you count the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?
Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labor pains.
They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.
4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.
5 “Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?
6 whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?
To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.
7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.
He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture. He searches after every green thing.
He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing.
9 “Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?
10 Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?
Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?
11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor?
Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?
12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?
Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.
14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,
When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.
15 and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.
She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.
16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear,
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.
17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.
For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.
18 When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 “Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
Wilt thou give strength to the horse, or clothe his neck with neighing?
20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.
Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.
He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.
He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword,
23 The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.
Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.
24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.
26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?
Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?
Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?
28 On the cliff he dwells and makes his home, on the point of the cliff and the stronghold.
She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.
29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.
From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
Her young ones shall suck up blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.
