Job 39
1 Connais-tu le temps où les chèvres sauvages font leurs petits? As-tu observé les biches quand elles mettent bas?
Have you knowledge of the rock-goats? or do you see the roes giving birth to their young?
2 As-tu compté les mois de leur portée, et connais-tu l’époque de leur délivrance?
Is the number of their months fixed by you? or is the time when they give birth ordered by you?
3 Elles se mettent à genoux, déposent leurs petits, et sont quittes de leurs douleurs.
They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body.
4 Leurs faons se fortifient et grandissent dans les champs; ils s’en vont, et ne reviennent plus.
Their young ones are strong, living in the open country; they go out and do not come back again.
5 Qui a lâché l’onagre en liberté, qui a brisé les liens de l’âne sauvage,
Who has let the ass of the fields go free? or made loose the bands of the loud-voiced beast?
6 à qui j’ai donné le désert pour maison, pour demeure la plaine salée?
To whom I have given the waste land for a heritage, and the salt land as a living-place.
7 Il méprise le tumulte des villes, il n’entend pas les cris d’un maître.
He makes sport of the noise of the town; the voice of the driver does not come to his ears;
8 Il parcourt les montagnes pour trouver sa pâture, il y poursuit les moindres traces de verdure.
He goes looking for his grass-lands in the mountains, searching out every green thing.
9 Le buffle voudra-t-il te servir, ou bien passera-t-il la nuit dans son étable?
Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?
10 L’attacheras-tu avec une corde au sillon, ou bien hersera-t-il derrière toi dans les vallées?
Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?
11 Te fieras-tu à lui parce qu’il est très fort, lui laisseras-tu faire tes travaux?
Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?
12 Compteras-tu sur lui pour rentrer ta moisson, pour recueillir le blé dans ton aire?
Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?
13 L’aile de l’autruche bat joyeusement; elle n’a ni l’aile pieuse ni le plumage de la cigogne.
Is the wing of the ostrich feeble, or is it because she has no feathers,
14 Elle abandonne ses œufs à la terre, et les laisse chauffer sur le sable.
That she puts her eggs on the earth, warming them in the dust,
15 Elle oublie que le pied peut les fouler, la bête des champs les écraser.
Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field?
16 Elle est dure pour ses petits, comme s’ils n’étaient pas siens; que son travail soit vain, elle ne s’en inquiète pas.
She is cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers; her work is to no purpose; she has no fear.
17 Car Dieu lui a refusé la sagesse, et ne lui a pas départi l’intelligence.
For God has taken wisdom from her mind, and given her no measure of knowledge.
18 Mais quand elle se bat les flancs et prend son essor, elle se rit du cheval et du cavalier.
When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him.
19 Est-ce toi qui donnes au cheval la vigueur, qui revêts son cou d’une crinière flottante,
Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?
20 qui le fais bondir comme la sauterelle? Son fier hennissement répand la terreur.
Is it through you that he is shaking like a locust, in the pride of his loud-sounding breath?
21 Il creuse du pied la terre, il est fier de sa force, il s’élance au-devant du combat.
He is stamping with joy in the valley; he makes sport of fear.
22 Il se rit de la peur; rien ne l’effraie; il ne recule pas devant l’épée.
In his strength he goes out against the arms of war, turning not away from the sword.
23 Sur lui résonne le carquois, la lance étincelante et le javelot.
The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.
24 Il frémit, il s’agite, il dévore le sol; il ne se contient plus quand la trompette sonne.
Shaking with passion, he is biting the earth; he is not able to keep quiet at the sound of the horn;
25 Au bruit de la trompette, il dit: « Allons! » De loin il flaire la bataille, la voix tonnante des chefs et les cris des guerriers.
When it comes to his ears he says, Aha! He is smelling the fight from far off, and hearing the thunder of the captains, and the war-cries.
26 Est-ce par ta sagesse que l’épervier prend son vol et déploie ses ailes vers le midi?
Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south?
27 Est-ce à ton ordre que l’aigle s’élève, et fait son nid sur les hauteurs?
Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high?
28 Il habite les rochers, il fixe sa demeure dans les dents de la pierre, sur les sommets.
On the rock is his house, and on the mountain-top his strong place.
29 De là, il guette sa proie, son regard perce au loin.
From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off.
30 Ses petits s’abreuvent de sang; partout où il y a des cadavres, on le trouve.
His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.
