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 season when the Wild Goats of the crags beget? The bringing forth of the hinds, canst thou observe?
2 Can you count the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?
Canst thou count the months they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they give birth?
3 They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labor pains.
They kneel down, their young, they bring forth; their pains, they throw off;
4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
Their young become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go out, and return not unto them.
5 “Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
Who hath sent forth the Wild Ass free? And, the bands of the swift-runner, who hath loosed?
6 whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?
Whose house I have made the waste plain, and his dwellings, the land of salt:
7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.
He laugheth at the throng of the city, The shoutings of the driver, he heareth not;
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture. He searches after every green thing.
He espieth the mountains, his pasture-ground, and, after every green thing, maketh search.
9 “Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
Will the Wild-Ox be pleased to be thy servant? or lodge for the night by 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 wild-ox, so that—with the ridge—shall run his cord? Or will he harrow the furrows after thee?
11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor?
Wilt thou trust in him, because of the greatness of his strength? Wilt thou leave unto him thy toil?
12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?
Wilt thou put faith in him, that he will bring back thy seed? and that, corn for thy threshing-floor, he will gather?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
The wing of the Ostrich that waveth itself joyfully, Is it the pinion of lovingkindness or the plumage?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,
For she leaveth—to the earth—her eggs, and, on the dust, she letteth them be warmed;
15 and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.
And hath forgotten, that, a foot, may crush them, —or, the wild beast, tread on 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,
Dealing hardly with her young, as none-of-hers, In vain, her labour, without dread.
17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.
For GOD hath suffered her to forget wisdom, and given her no share in understanding.
18 When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
What time, on high, she vibrateth her wings, she laugheth at the horse and his rider.
19 “Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
Couldst thou give—to the Horse—strength? Couldst thou clothe his neck with the quivering mane?
20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.
Couldst thou cause him to leap like a locust? The majesty of his snort, is a terror!
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.
He diggeth into the plain, and rejoiceth in vigour, he goeth forth to meet armour;
22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.
He laugheth at dread, and is not dismayed, neither turneth he back, from the face of the sword;
23 The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.
Against him, whiz [the arrows of] the quiver, the flashing head of spear and javelin;
24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
With stamping and rage, he drinketh up the ground, —he will not stand still when the horn 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.
As oft as the horn soundeth, he saith, Aha! And, from afar, he scenteth the battle, —the thunder of commanders and the war-cry.
26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?
Is it, by thine understanding, that the Bird of Passage betaketh him to his pinions? spreadeth out his wings to the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?
28 On the cliff he dwells and makes his home, on the point of the cliff and the stronghold.
The crag, he inhabiteth, and so lodgeth himself, on the tooth of the crag, and high fort;
29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.
From thence, he searcheth out food, far away, his eyes do pierce;
30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.
