Job 39
1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?
Knowest thou the season when the Wild Goats of the crags beget? The bringing forth of the hinds, canst thou observe?
2 Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
Canst thou count the months they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they give birth?
3 They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.
They kneel down, their young, they bring forth; their pains, they throw off;
4 Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.
Their young become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go out, and return not unto them.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?
Who hath sent forth the Wild Ass free? And, the bands of the swift-runner, who hath loosed?
6 To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.
Whose house I have made the waste plain, and his dwellings, the land of salt:
7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.
He laugheth at the throng of the city, The shoutings of the driver, he heareth not;
8 He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing.
He espieth the mountains, his pasture-ground, and, after every green thing, maketh search.
9 Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?
Will the Wild-Ox be pleased to be thy servant? or lodge for the night by thy crib?
10 Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?
Canst thou bind the wild-ox, so that—with the ridge—shall run his cord? Or will he harrow the furrows after thee?
11 Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?
Wilt thou trust in him, because of the greatness of his strength? Wilt thou leave unto him thy toil?
12 Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?
Wilt thou put faith in him, that he will bring back thy seed? and that, corn for thy threshing-floor, he will gather?
13 The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.
The wing of the Ostrich that waveth itself joyfully, Is it the pinion of lovingkindness or the plumage?
14 When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.
For she leaveth—to the earth—her eggs, and, on the dust, she letteth them be warmed;
15 She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.
And hath forgotten, that, a foot, may crush them, —or, the wild beast, tread on them!
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.
Dealing hardly with her young, as none-of-hers, In vain, her labour, without dread.
17 For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.
For GOD hath suffered her to forget wisdom, and given her no share in understanding.
18 When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.
What time, on high, she vibrateth her wings, she laugheth at the horse and his rider.
19 Wilt thou give strength to the horse, or clothe his neck with neighing?
Couldst thou give—to the Horse—strength? Couldst thou clothe his neck with the quivering mane?
20 Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.
Couldst thou cause him to leap like a locust? The majesty of his snort, is a terror!
21 He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.
He diggeth into the plain, and rejoiceth in vigour, he goeth forth to meet armour;
22 He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword,
He laugheth at dread, and is not dismayed, neither turneth he back, from the face of the sword;
23 Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.
Against him, whiz [the arrows of] the quiver, the flashing head of spear and javelin;
24 Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.
With stamping and rage, he drinketh up the ground, —he will not stand still when the horn soundeth;
25 When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.
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 Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?
Is it, by thine understanding, that the Bird of Passage betaketh him to his pinions? spreadeth out his wings to the south?
27 Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?
28 She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.
The crag, he inhabiteth, and so lodgeth himself, on the tooth of the crag, and high fort;
29 From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
From thence, he searcheth out food, far away, his eyes do pierce;
30 Her young ones shall suck up blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.
And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.
