Job 39
1 Whethir thou knowist the tyme of birthe of wielde geet in stoonys, ethir hast thou aspied hyndis bryngynge forth calues?
Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? dost thou mark the calving of the hinds?
2 Hast thou noumbrid the monethis of her conseyuyng, and hast thou knowe the tyme of her caluyng?
Dost thou number the months that they fulfil? and knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 Tho ben bowid to the calf, and caluen; and senden out roryngis.
They bow themselves, they give birth to their young ones, they cast out their pains;
4 Her calues ben departid, and goen to pasture; tho goen out, and turnen not ayen to `tho hyndis.
Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go forth, and return not unto them.
5 Who let go the wielde asse fre, and who loside the boondis of hym?
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? and who hath loosed the bands of the onager,
6 To whom Y haue youe an hows in wildirnesse, and the tabernacles of hym in the lond of saltnesse.
Whose house I made the wilderness, and the salt plain his dwellings?
7 He dispisith the multitude of citee; he herith not the cry of an axere.
He laugheth at the tumult of the city, and heareth not the shouts of the driver;
8 He lokith aboute the hillis of his lesewe, and he sekith alle greene thingis.
The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
9 Whether an vnycorn schal wilne serue thee, ethir schal dwelle at thi cratche?
Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?
10 Whether thou schalt bynde the vnicorn with thi chayne, for to ere, ethir schal he breke the clottis of valeis aftir thee?
Canst thou bind the buffalo with his cord in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11 Whether thou schalt haue trist in his grete strengthe, and schalt thou leeue to hym thi traueils?
Wilt thou put confidence in him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
12 Whether thou schalt bileue to hym, that he schal yelde seed to thee, and schal gadere togidere thi cornfloor?
Wilt thou trust him to bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy threshing-floor?
13 The fethere of an ostriche is lijk the fetheris of a gerfawcun, and of an hauk;
The wing of the ostrich beats joyously — But is it the stork's pinion and plumage?
14 which ostrige forsakith hise eirun in the erthe, in hap thou schalt make tho hoot in the dust.
For she leaveth her eggs to the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,
15 He foryetith, that a foot tredith tho, ethir that a beeste of the feeld al tobrekith tho.
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may trample them.
16 He is maad hard to hise briddis, as if thei ben not hise; he traueilide in veyn, while no drede constreynede.
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labour is in vain, without her concern.
17 For God hath priued hym fro wisdom, and `yaf not vnderstondyng to hym.
For God hath deprived her of wisdom, and hath not furnished her with understanding.
18 Whanne tyme is, he reisith the wengis an hiy; he scorneth the hors, and his ridere.
What time she lasheth herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 Whether thou schalt yyue strengthe to an hors, ether schal yyue neiyng `aboute his necke?
Hast thou given strength to the horse? hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?
20 Whether thou schalt reyse hym as locustis? The glorie of hise nosethirlis is drede.
Dost thou make him to leap as a locust? His majestic snorting is terrible.
21 He diggith erthe with the foot, he `fulli ioieth booldli; he goith ayens armed men.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in [his] strength; he goeth forth to meet the armed host.
22 He dispisith ferdfulnesse, and he yyueth not stide to swerd.
He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from before the sword.
23 An arowe caas schal sowne on hym; a spere and scheeld schal florische.
The quiver rattleth upon him, the glittering spear and the javelin.
24 He is hoot, and gnastith, and swolewith the erthe; and he arettith not that the crie of the trumpe sowneth.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, and cannot contain himself at the sound of the trumpet:
25 Whanne he herith a clarioun, he `seith, Joie! he smellith batel afer; the excityng of duykis, and the yellyng of the oost.
At the noise of the trumpets he saith, Aha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 Whether an hauk spredinge abrood hise wyngis to the south, bigynneth to haue fetheris bi thi wisdom?
Doth the hawk fly by thine intelligence, [and] stretch his wings toward the south?
27 Whether an egle schal be reisid at thi comaundement, and schal sette his nest in hiy places?
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make his nest on high?
28 He dwellith in stoonys, and he dwellith in flyntis brokun bifor, and in rochis, to whiche `me may not neiye.
He inhabiteth the rock and maketh his dwelling on the point of the cliff, and the fastness:
29 Fro thennus he biholdith mete, and hise iyen loken fro fer.
From thence he spieth out the prey, his eyes look into the distance;
30 Hise briddis souken blood, and where euere a careyn is, anoon he is present.
And his young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is he.
