< 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!
Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? dost thou mark the calving of the hinds?
2 Thou dost number the months they fulfil? And thou hast known the time of their bringing forth!
Dost thou number the months that they fulfil? and knowest thou 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 give birth to their young ones, 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 unto them.
5 Who hath sent forth the wild ass free? Yea, the bands of the wild ass who opened?
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? and who hath loosed the bands of the onager,
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, And his dwellings the barren land,
Whose house I made the wilderness, and the salt plain his dwellings?
7 He doth laugh at the multitude of a city, The cries of an exactor he heareth not.
He laugheth at the tumult of the city, and heareth not the shouts 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 searcheth after every green thing.
9 Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib?
Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?
10 Dost thou bind a Reem in a furrow [with] his thick band? Doth he harrow valleys after thee?
Canst thou bind the buffalo with his cord 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?
Wilt thou put confidence in him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
12 Dost thou trust in him That he doth bring back thy seed? And [to] thy threshing-floor doth gather [it]?
Wilt thou trust him to bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy threshing-floor?
13 The wing of the rattling ones exulteth, Whether the pinion of the ostrich or hawk.
The wing of the ostrich beats joyously — But is it the stork's pinion and plumage?
14 For she leaveth on the earth her eggs, And on the dust she doth warm them,
For she leaveth her eggs to the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,
15 And she forgetteth that a foot may press it, And a beast of the field tread it down.
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may trample them.
16 Her young ones it hath hardened without her, In vain [is] her labour without fear.
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 caused her to forget wisdom, And He hath not given a portion To her in understanding:
For God hath deprived her of wisdom, and hath not furnished her with understanding.
18 At the time on high she lifteth herself up, She laugheth at the horse and at his rider.
What time she lasheth herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 Dost thou give to the horse might? Dost thou clothe his neck [with] a mane?
Hast thou given strength to the horse? hast 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.
Dost thou make him to leap as a locust? His majestic snorting is terrible.
21 They dig in a valley, and he rejoiceth in power, He goeth forth to meet the armour.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in [his] strength; he goeth forth to meet the armed host.
22 He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted, And he turneth not back from the face of the sword.
He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from before the sword.
23 Against him rattle doth quiver, The flame of a spear, and a halbert.
The quiver rattleth upon him, the glittering 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 swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, and cannot contain himself 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.
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 By thine understanding flieth a hawk? Spreadeth he his wings to the south?
Doth the hawk fly by thine intelligence, [and] stretch his wings toward the south?
27 At thy command goeth an eagle up high? Or lifteth he up his nest?
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make his nest on high?
28 A rock he doth inhabit, Yea, he lodgeth on the tooth of a rock, and fortress.
He inhabiteth the rock and maketh his dwelling on the point of the cliff, and the fastness:
29 From thence he hath sought food, To a far off place his eyes look attentively,
From thence he spieth out the prey, his eyes look into the distance;
30 And his brood gulp up blood, And where the pierced [are] — there [is] he!
And his young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is he.