אִיּוֹב 39

1 הֲיָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֭ת לֶ֣דֶת יַעֲלֵי־סָ֑לַע חֹלֵ֖ל אַיָּלֹ֣ות תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃

Knowest thou the season when the Wild Goats of the crags beget? The bringing forth of the hinds, canst thou observe?

2 תִּסְפֹּ֣ר יְרָחִ֣ים תְּמַלֶּ֑אנָה וְ֝יָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֣ת לִדְתָּֽנָה׃

Canst thou count the months they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they give birth?

3 תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה׃

They kneel down, their young, they bring forth; their pains, they throw off;

4 יַחְלְמ֣וּ בְ֭נֵיהֶם יִרְבּ֣וּ בַבָּ֑ר יָ֝צְא֗וּ וְלֹא־שָׁ֥בוּ לָֽמֹו׃

Their young become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go out, and return not unto them.

5 מִֽי־שִׁלַּ֣ח פֶּ֣רֶא חָפְשִׁ֑י וּמֹסְרֹ֥ות עָ֝רֹ֗וד מִ֣י פִתֵּֽחַ׃

Who hath sent forth the Wild Ass free? And, the bands of the swift-runner, who hath loosed?

6 אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי עֲרָבָ֣ה בֵיתֹ֑ו וּֽמִשְׁכְּנֹותָ֥יו מְלֵֽחָה׃

Whose house I have made the waste plain, and his dwellings, the land of salt:

7 יִ֭שְׂחַק לַהֲמֹ֣ון קִרְיָ֑ה תְּשֻׁאֹ֥ות נֹ֝וגֵ֗שׂ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמָֽע׃

He laugheth at the throng of the city, The shoutings of the driver, he heareth not;

8 יְת֣וּר הָרִ֣ים מִרְעֵ֑הוּ וְאַחַ֖ר כָּל־יָרֹ֣וק יִדְרֹֽושׁ׃

He espieth the mountains, his pasture-ground, and, after every green thing, maketh search.

9 הֲיֹ֣אבֶה רֵּ֣ים עָבְדֶ֑ךָ אִם־יָ֝לִ֗ין עַל־אֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃

Will the Wild-Ox be pleased to be thy servant? or lodge for the night by thy crib?

10 הֲ‍ֽתִקְשָׁר־רֵ֭ים בְּתֶ֣לֶם עֲבֹתֹ֑ו אִם־יְשַׂדֵּ֖ד עֲמָקִ֣ים אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃

Canst thou bind the wild-ox, so that—with the ridge—shall run his cord? Or will he harrow the furrows after thee?

11 הֲ‌ֽתִבְטַח־בֹּ֖ו כִּי־רַ֣ב כֹּחֹ֑ו וְתַעֲזֹ֖ב אֵלָ֣יו יְגִיעֶֽךָ׃

Wilt thou trust in him, because of the greatness of his strength? Wilt thou leave unto him thy toil?

12 הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין בֹּ֖ו כִּי־יָשׁוּב (יָשִׁ֣יב) זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְֽגָרְנְךָ֥ יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

Wilt thou put faith in him, that he will bring back thy seed? and that, corn for thy threshing-floor, he will gather?

13 כְּנַף־רְנָנִ֥ים נֶעֱלָ֑סָה אִם־אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה חֲסִידָ֥ה וְנֹצָֽה׃

The wing of the Ostrich that waveth itself joyfully, Is it the pinion of lovingkindness or the plumage?

14 כִּֽי־תַעֲזֹ֣ב לָאָ֣רֶץ בֵּצֶ֑יהָ וְֽעַל־עָפָ֥ר תְּחַמֵּֽם׃

For she leaveth—to the earth—her eggs, and, on the dust, she letteth them be warmed;

15 וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח כִּי־רֶ֣גֶל תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ וְחַיַּ֖ת הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה תְּדוּשֶֽׁהָ׃

And hath forgotten, that, a foot, may crush them, —or, the wild beast, tread on them!

16 הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ בָּנֶ֣יהָ לְּלֹא־לָ֑הּ לְרִ֖יק יְגִיעָ֣הּ בְּלִי־פָֽחַד׃

Dealing hardly with her young, as none-of-hers, In vain, her labour, without dread.

17 כִּֽי־הִשָּׁ֣הּ אֱלֹ֣והַּ חָכְמָ֑ה וְלֹא־חָ֥לַק לָ֝֗הּ בַּבִּינָֽה׃

For GOD hath suffered her to forget wisdom, and given her no share in understanding.

18 כָּ֭עֵת בַּמָּרֹ֣ום תַּמְרִ֑יא תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק לַ֝סּ֗וּס וּלְרֹֽכְבֹֽו׃

What time, on high, she vibrateth her wings, she laugheth at the horse and his rider.

19 הֲתִתֵּ֣ן לַסּ֣וּס גְּבוּרָ֑ה הֲתַלְבִּ֖ישׁ צַוָּארֹ֣ו רַעְמָֽה׃

Couldst thou give—to the Horse—strength? Couldst thou clothe his neck with the quivering mane?

20 הְֽ֭תַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ כָּאַרְבֶּ֑ה הֹ֖וד נַחְרֹ֣ו אֵימָֽה׃

Couldst thou cause him to leap like a locust? The majesty of his snort, is a terror!

21 יַחְפְּר֣וּ בָ֭עֵמֶק וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ בְּכֹ֑חַ יֵ֝צֵ֗א לִקְרַאת־נָֽשֶׁק׃

He diggeth into the plain, and rejoiceth in vigour, he goeth forth to meet armour;

22 יִשְׂחַ֣ק לְ֭פַחַד וְלֹ֣א יֵחָ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־חָֽרֶב׃

He laugheth at dread, and is not dismayed, neither turneth he back, from the face of the sword;

23 עָ֭לָיו תִּרְנֶ֣ה אַשְׁפָּ֑ה לַ֖הַב חֲנִ֣ית וְכִידֹֽון׃

Against him, whiz [the arrows of] the quiver, the flashing head of spear and javelin;

24 בְּרַ֣עַשׁ וְ֭רֹגֶז יְגַמֶּא־אָ֑רֶץ וְלֹֽא־יַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּי־קֹ֥ול שֹׁופָֽר׃

With stamping and rage, he drinketh up the ground, —he will not stand still when the horn soundeth;

25 בְּדֵ֤י שֹׁפָ֨ר ׀ יֹ֘אמַ֤ר הֶאָ֗ח וּֽ֭מֵרָחֹוק יָרִ֣יחַ מִלְחָמָ֑ה רַ֥עַם שָׂ֝רִים וּתְרוּעָֽה׃

As oft as the horn soundeth, he saith, Aha! And, from afar, he scenteth the battle, —the thunder of commanders and the war-cry.

26 הֲ‍ֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ יַֽאֲבֶר־נֵ֑ץ יִפְרֹ֖שׂ כְּנָפֹו (כְּנָפָ֣יו) לְתֵימָֽן׃

Is it, by thine understanding, that the Bird of Passage betaketh him to his pinions? spreadeth out his wings to the south?

27 אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ נָ֑שֶׁר וְ֝כִ֗י יָרִ֥ים קִנֹּֽו׃

Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?

28 סֶ֣לַע יִ֭שְׁכֹּן וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן עַֽל־שֶׁן־סֶ֝֗לַע וּמְצוּדָֽה׃

The crag, he inhabiteth, and so lodgeth himself, on the tooth of the crag, and high fort;

29 מִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָחֹ֗וק עֵינָ֥יו יַבִּֽיטוּ׃

From thence, he searcheth out food, far away, his eyes do pierce;

30 וְאֶפְרֹחֹו (וְאֶפְרֹחָ֥יו) יְעַלְעוּ־דָ֑ם וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חֲ֝לָלִ֗ים שָׁ֣ם הֽוּא׃ פ

And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.