Job 39
1 Whethir thou knowist the tyme of birthe of wielde geet in stoonys, ethir hast thou aspied hyndis bryngynge forth calues?
Do you know at what time the wild goats in the rocks bear their young? Can you watch when the deer are having their fawns?
2 Hast thou noumbrid the monethis of her conseyuyng, and hast thou knowe the tyme of her caluyng?
Can you count the months that they gestate? Do you know the time when they bear their young?
3 Tho ben bowid to the calf, and caluen; and senden out roryngis.
They crouch down and birth their young, and then they finish their labor 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 and grow up in the open fields; they go out and do not come back again.
5 Who let go the wielde asse fre, and who loside the boondis of hym?
Who let the wild donkey go free? Who has untied the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 To whom Y haue youe an hows in wildirnesse, and the tabernacles of hym in the lond of saltnesse.
whose home I have made in the Arabah, his house in the salt land?
7 He dispisith the multitude of citee; he herith not the cry of an axere.
He laughs in scorn at the noises in the city; he does not hear the driver's shouts.
8 He lokith aboute the hillis of his lesewe, and he sekith alle greene thingis.
He roams over the mountains as his pastures; there he looks for every green plant to eat.
9 Whether an vnycorn schal wilne serue thee, ethir schal dwelle at thi cratche?
Will the wild ox be happy to serve you? Will he consent to stay by your manger?
10 Whether thou schalt bynde the vnicorn with thi chayne, for to ere, ethir schal he breke the clottis of valeis aftir thee?
Can you use ropes to hold the wild ox in the furrows? Will he harrow the valleys as he follows after you?
11 Whether thou schalt haue trist in his grete strengthe, and schalt thou leeue to hym thi traueils?
Will you trust him because his strength is great? Will you leave your work to him to do?
12 Whether thou schalt bileue to hym, that he schal yelde seed to thee, and schal gadere togidere thi cornfloor?
Will you depend on him to bring your grain home, to gather the grain for your threshing floor?
13 The fethere of an ostriche is lijk the fetheris of a gerfawcun, and of an hauk;
The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love?
14 which ostrige forsakith hise eirun in the erthe, in hap thou schalt make tho hoot in the dust.
For she leaves her eggs on the earth, and she lets them keep warm in the dust;
15 He foryetith, that a foot tredith tho, ethir that a beeste of the feeld al tobrekith tho.
she forgets that a foot might crush them or that a wild beast might 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 deals roughly with her young ones as if they were not hers; she does not fear that her labor might have been in vain,
17 For God hath priued hym fro wisdom, and `yaf not vnderstondyng to hym.
because God has deprived her of wisdom and has not given her any understanding.
18 Whanne tyme is, he reisith the wengis an hiy; he scorneth the hors, and his ridere.
When she runs swiftly, she laughs in scorn at the horse and its rider.
19 Whether thou schalt yyue strengthe to an hors, ether schal yyue neiyng `aboute his necke?
Have you given the horse his strength? Did you clothe his neck with his flowing mane?
20 Whether thou schalt reyse hym as locustis? The glorie of hise nosethirlis is drede.
Have you ever made him jump like a locust? The majesty of his snorting is fearsome.
21 He diggith erthe with the foot, he `fulli ioieth booldli; he goith ayens armed men.
He paws in might and rejoices in his strength; he rushes out to meet the weapons.
22 He dispisith ferdfulnesse, and he yyueth not stide to swerd.
He mocks fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword.
23 An arowe caas schal sowne on hym; a spere and scheeld schal florische.
The quiver rattles against his flank, along with the flashing 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 swallows up ground with fierceness and rage; at the trumpet's sound, he cannot stand in one place.
25 Whanne he herith a clarioun, he `seith, Joie! he smellith batel afer; the excityng of duykis, and the yellyng of the oost.
Whenever the trumpet sounds, he says, 'Aha!' He smells the battle from far away— the thunderous shouts of the commanders and the outcries.
26 Whether an hauk spredinge abrood hise wyngis to the south, bigynneth to haue fetheris bi thi wisdom?
Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, that he stretches out his wings for the south?
27 Whether an egle schal be reisid at thi comaundement, and schal sette his nest in hiy places?
Is it at your orders that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest in high places?
28 He dwellith in stoonys, and he dwellith in flyntis brokun bifor, and in rochis, to whiche `me may not neiye.
He lives on cliffs and makes his home on the peaks of cliffs, a stronghold.
29 Fro thennus he biholdith mete, and hise iyen loken fro fer.
From there he searches for victims; his eyes see them from very far away.
30 Hise briddis souken blood, and where euere a careyn is, anoon he is present.
His young also drink up blood; where killed people are, there he is.”
