Job 39
1 Hast thou known the time of The bearing of the wild goats of the rock? The bringing forth of hinds thou dost mark!
Do thou know the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or can thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2 Thou dost number the months they fulfil? And thou hast known the time of their bringing forth!
Can thou number the months that they fulfill? Or do thou know the time when they bring forth?
3 They bow down, Their young ones they bring forth safely, Their pangs they cast forth.
They bow themselves. They bring forth their young. They cast out their pains.
4 Safe are their young ones, They grow up in the field, they have gone out, And have not returned to them.
Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go forth, and return not again.
5 Who hath sent forth the wild ass free? Yea, the bands of the wild ass who opened?
Who has sent out the wild donkey free? Or who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, And his dwellings the barren land,
whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling-place?
7 He doth laugh at the multitude of a city, The cries of an exactor he heareth not.
He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shoutings of the driver.
8 The range of mountains [is] his pasture, And after every green thing he seeketh.
The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.
9 Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib?
Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?
10 Dost thou bind a Reem in a furrow [with] his thick band? Doth he harrow valleys after thee?
Can thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11 Dost thou trust in him because great [is] his power? And dost thou leave unto him thy labour?
Will thou trust him because his strength is great? Or will thou leave to him thy labor?
12 Dost thou trust in him That he doth bring back thy seed? And [to] thy threshing-floor doth gather [it]?
Will thou confide in him that he will bring home thy seed, and gather the grain of thy threshing-floor?
13 The wing of the rattling ones exulteth, Whether the pinion of the ostrich or hawk.
The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love?
14 For she leaveth on the earth her eggs, And on the dust she doth warm them,
For she leaves her eggs on the ground, and warms them in the dust.
15 And she forgetteth that a foot may press it, And a beast of the field tread it down.
And she forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may trample them.
16 Her young ones it hath hardened without her, In vain [is] her labour without fear.
She deals hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear,
17 For God hath caused her to forget wisdom, And He hath not given a portion To her in understanding:
because God has deprived her of wisdom, nor has he imparted understanding to her.
18 At the time on high she lifteth herself up, She laugheth at the horse and at his rider.
The time she lifts up herself on high she scorns the horse and his rider.
19 Dost thou give to the horse might? Dost thou clothe his neck [with] a mane?
Have thou given the horse his might? Have thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?
20 Dost thou cause him to rush as a locust? The majesty of his snorting [is] terrible.
Have thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.
21 They dig in a valley, and he rejoiceth in power, He goeth forth to meet the armour.
He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.
22 He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted, And he turneth not back from the face of the sword.
He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed. Neither does he turn back from the sword.
23 Against him rattle doth quiver, The flame of a spear, and a halbert.
The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.
24 With trembling and rage he swalloweth the ground, And remaineth not stedfast Because of the sound of a trumpet.
He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage, nor does he believe that it is the voice of the trumpet.
25 Among the trumpets he saith, Aha, And from afar he doth smell battle, Roaring of princes and shouting.
As often as the trumpet sounds he says, Aha! And he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 By thine understanding flieth a hawk? Spreadeth he his wings to the south?
Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?
27 At thy command goeth an eagle up high? Or lifteth he up his nest?
Is it at thy command that the eagle mounts up, and makes her nest on high?
28 A rock he doth inhabit, Yea, he lodgeth on the tooth of a rock, and fortress.
She dwells on the cliff, and makes her home upon the point of the cliff and the stronghold.
29 From thence he hath sought food, To a far off place his eyes look attentively,
From there she spies out the prey. Her eyes behold it afar off.
30 And his brood gulp up blood, And where the pierced [are] — there [is] he!
Her young ones also suck up blood. And where the slain are, there is she.
