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 chamois of the rock bring forth? or markest thou when the hinds do calve?
2 Can you count the months that they fulfil? Or do you know the time when they give birth?
Numberest thou the months of gestation which they complete and knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labour pains.
They bend themselves: they drop their young ones; throw off their pains.
4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
Their little ones become strong; they grow up in the open field; they go forth, and return not unto them.
5 “Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
Who sent out the wild ass free? or who loosened the bonds of the forest-ass?
6 whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?
To whom I assigned the wilderness as his house, and the salty land as his dwellings.
7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.
He laugheth at the noise of a town, and the shoutings of the driver he heareth not.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture. He searches after every green thing.
What he espieth on the mountains is his pasture, and after every green thing doth he search.
9 “Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
Will the forest-ox be willing to serve thee, or will he stay over night 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 forest-ox with a rope [to labor] in the furrow? or will he harrow valleys, following after thee?
11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labour?
Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou leave to him thy labor?
12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?
Wilt thou confide in him, that he should bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy threshing-floor?—
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
The wing of the ostrich moveth joyfully: hath she the pinions and plumage of the careful stork?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,
[No, ] for she intrusteth her eggs to the earth, and letteth them be hatched out on the dust:
15 and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.
And she forgetteth that a foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may stamp them down.
16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labour is in vain, she is without fear,
He hath made her callous against her young, as though they were not hers: her labor is in vain, [but she feeleth] no dread;
17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.
Because God hath denied her wisdom, and he hath not imparted to her understanding.
18 When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
At the time she raiseth herself up on high, she laugheth at the horse and his rider.
19 “Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
Dost thou give the horse strength? dost thou clothe his neck with the rolling mane?
20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.
Canst thou make him jump like a locust? his majestic snort is terrible.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.
Men spy about in the valley, and he rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth forth to meet the armed array.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.
He laugheth at fear, and is not dismayed; and turneth not back from before the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.
Over him rattle the quiver, the glittering spear and the lance.
24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the shofar.
With impatient noise and rage he holloweth [with his hoof] the ground, and keepeth not quiet when the cornet's voice [is heard].
25 As often as the shofar sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Midst the sound of the cornet he uttereth his joyful neigh; and from afar he perceiveth the battle, the loud call of the captains, and the battle-cry.—
26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings towards the south?
Is it through thy understanding that the hawk flieth along, and spreadeth out his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?
Or is it by your order that the eagle doth mount upward, and buildeth high up his nest?
28 On the cliff he dwells and makes his home, on the point of the cliff and the stronghold.
On a rock he dwelleth, and spendeth his nights, on a rocky crag and mountain fastness.
29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.
From there he espieth his food, from afar can his eyes behold.
30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
His young ones, also, sip up blood: and where the slain be, there is he.
