< Job 39 >

1 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?
Knowest thou the time when the wilde goates bring foorth yong? or doest thou marke when the hindes doe calue?
2 Can you count the months that they fulfil? Or do you know the time when they give birth?
Canst thou nomber the moneths that they fulfill? or knowest thou the time when they bring foorth?
3 They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labour pains.
They bow them selues: they bruise their yong and cast out their sorowes.
4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
Yet their yong waxe fatte, and growe vp with corne: they goe foorth and returne not vnto them.
5 “Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
Who hath set the wilde asse at libertie? or who hath loosed the bondes of the wilde asse?
6 whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?
It is I which haue made the wildernesse his house, and the salt places his dwellings.
7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.
He derideth the multitude of the citie: he heareth not the crie of the driuer.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture. He searches after every green thing.
He seeketh out the mountaine for his pasture, and searcheth after euery greene thing.
9 “Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
Will the vnicorne serue thee? or will he tary by thy cribbe?
10 Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?
Canst thou binde the vnicorne with his band to labour in the furrowe? or will he plowe the valleyes after thee?
11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labour?
Wilt thou trust in him, because his strength is great, and cast off thy labour vnto him?
12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?
Wilt thou beleeue him, that he will bring home thy seede, and gather it vnto thy barne?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
Hast thou giuen the pleasant wings vnto the peacockes? or winges and feathers vnto the ostriche?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,
Which leaueth his egges in the earth, and maketh them hote in the dust,
15 and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.
And forgetteth that the foote might scatter the, or that the wild beast might breake the.
16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labour is in vain, she is without fear,
He sheweth himselfe cruell vnto his yong ones, as they were not his, and is without feare, as if he trauailed in vaine.
17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.
For God had depriued him of wisedom, and hath giuen him no part of vnderstanding.
18 When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
When time is, he mounteth on hie: he mocketh the horse and his rider.
19 “Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
Hast thou giuen the horse strength? or couered his necke with neying?
20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.
Hast thou made him afraid as the grashopper? his strong neying is fearefull.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.
He diggeth in the valley, and reioyceth in his strength: he goeth foorth to meete the harnest man.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.
He mocketh at feare, and is not afraid, and turneth not backe from the sworde,
23 The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.
Though the quiuer rattle against him, the glittering speare and the shield.
24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the shofar.
He swalloweth the ground for fearcenes and rage, and he beleeueth not that it is the noise of the trumpet.
25 As often as the shofar sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
He sayth among the trumpets, Ha, ha: hee smellleth the battell afarre off, and the noyse of the captaines, and the shouting.
26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings towards the south?
Shall the hauke flie by thy wisedome, stretching out his wings toward the South?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?
Doeth the eagle mount vp at thy commandement, or make his nest on hie?
28 On the cliff he dwells and makes his home, on the point of the cliff and the stronghold.
Shee abideth and remaineth in the rocke, euen vpon the toppe of the rocke, and the tower.
29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.
From thence she spieth for meate, and her eyes beholde afarre off.
30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
His young ones also sucke vp blood: and where the slaine are, there is she.

< Job 39 >