Job 39

1 “Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?

2 Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth?

3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.

4 Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.

5 Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?

6 I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling.

7 He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver.

8 He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.

9 Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?

10 Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?

11 Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?

12 Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?

13 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.

14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand.

15 She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them.

16 She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain.

17 For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.

18 Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.

19 Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?

20 Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?

21 He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle.

22 He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword.

23 A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance.

24 Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds.

25 At the blast of the horn, he snorts with fervor. He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shouts of captains and the cry of war.

26 Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?

27 Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high?

28 He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag.

29 From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.

30 His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.”

1 ¶ Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? [or] canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

2 Canst thou number the months [that] they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.

4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.

7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

8 The range of the mountains [is] his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength [is] great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

12 Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather [it into] thy barn?

13 ¶ [Gavest thou] the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

14 Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though [they were] not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;

17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

19 ¶ Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils [is] terrible.

21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in [his] strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.

22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

23 The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that [it is] the sound of the trumpet.

25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 ¶ Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, [and] stretch her wings toward the south?

27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.

29 From thence she seeketh the prey, [and] her eyes behold afar off.

30 Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain [are], there [is] she.

2 Hast thou told their moons, when they shall be full? Or knowest thou the time when they shall give birth?

3 They bow down when they give birth, and tear themselves, and let forth their young.

4 Their young ones wax fat, and multiply in the corn; and go out, and come not again unto them.

5 Who hath let the game go so free? Who has dissolved the bonds of the game?

6 To whom have I given the field for a house, and the wilderness for a dwelling?

7 It mocketh at the tumult of the city; it heareth not the throbbing of the driver.

8 He looketh toward the mountains for his pasture, and seeketh out the green places.

9 Thinkest thou that the unicorn shall serve thee, and abide at thy crib?

10 Canst thou bind thy yoke upon him, to make the furrows, that he may break behind thee in causes?

11 Wilt thou trust in it, that it is strong, and wilt it work for thee?

12 Wilt thou trust him to bring thy seed again, and to gather it into thy barn?

13 The feathers of the peacock are more beautiful than the wings and feathers of the stork,

14 Who letteth his eggs upon the earth, and letteth them hatch upon the hot earth.

15 He forgetteth that they may be trodden down, and that a wild beast may break them.

16 He is as hard against his young men as if they were not his, heedeth not that he laboureth in vain.

17 For God hath taken away wisdom from him, and hath not given him understanding.

18 At the time that he goeth up, he riseth up, and laugheth at both horse and man.

19 Canst thou give strength unto the horse, or adorn his neck with his cry?

20 canst thou frighten it as the locusts? That is the price of his nose, which is terrible.

21 It stampeth upon the ground, and is joyful with strength, and shouteth out against the armoured men.

22 It mocketh fear, and is not afraid, neither flinteth from the sword,

23 Though the quiver sound, and both the spear and the lance shine.

24 It trembled, and raged, and beat the earth, and hearkened not to the sound of the trumpets.

25 When the trumpet is almost sounded, it saith: Hoi! and smells the strife from afar, the shouting of princes and whooping.

26 Doth the hawk flee through thy mind, and spread his wings toward the south?

27 Doth the eagle, at thy command, fly so high as to make his nest on high?

28 He dwelleth in rocks, and abideth on the cliffs in rocks, and in strong places.

29 From thence he looketh after the meat, and his eyes look afar off.

30 His young ones drink blood; and where there is carrion, there he is.

31 And the LORD answered Job, and said:

32 If any one will dispute with the Almighty, shall he not teach him? And he that reproacheth God, shall he not answer for it?

33 And Job answered the LORD, and said:

34 Behold, I have been too light-hearted; what shall I answer? I will put my hand upon my mouth.

35 I have spoken once, therefore I will answer no more; hereafter I will do it no more.

39 Canst thou give the lioness her prey to hunt, and feed the young lions?

40 That they may lie down in their place, and rest in the cave where they lie in wait?

41 Who prepares food for the raven when its young call to God and fly astray when they have no food? Ch. 39. v. 1. Knowest thou the time when the chamois give birth upon the rocks? Or hast thou perceived when the deer conceive?