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 you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?
2 Thou dost number the months they fulfil? And thou hast known the time of their bringing forth!
Can you count the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?
3 They bow down, Their young ones they bring forth safely, Their pangs they cast forth.
They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labor 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 out, and do not return again.
5 Who hath sent forth the wild ass free? Yea, the bands of the wild ass who opened?
“Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened 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 shouting 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. 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 you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
10 Dost thou bind a Reem in a furrow [with] his thick band? Doth he harrow valleys after thee?
Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?
11 Dost thou trust in him because great [is] his power? And dost thou leave unto him thy labour?
Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor?
12 Dost thou trust in him That he doth bring back thy seed? And [to] thy threshing-floor doth gather [it]?
Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your 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 feathers 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 earth, 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 forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.
16 Her young ones it hath hardened without her, In vain [is] her labour without fear.
She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is 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, neither has he imparted to her understanding.
18 At the time on high she lifteth herself up, She laugheth at the horse and at his rider.
When 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 you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
20 Dost thou cause him to rush as a locust? The majesty of his snorting [is] terrible.
Have you 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 eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound 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 snorts, ‘Aha!’ 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 your 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 your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?
28 A rock he doth inhabit, Yea, he lodgeth on the tooth of a rock, and fortress.
On the cliff he dwells and makes his home, on 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 he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.
30 And his brood gulp up blood, And where the pierced [are] — there [is] he!
His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
