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39 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth?
Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
Canst thou number the months that they fulfil?
Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young,
They cast out their pains.
Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They go forth, and [a]return not again.

Who hath sent out the wild ass free?
Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the salt land his dwelling-place?
He scorneth the tumult of the city,
Neither heareth he the shoutings of the [b]driver.
The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searcheth after every green thing.
Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee?
Or will he abide by thy crib?
10 Canst thou bind the wild-ox 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 to him thy labor?
12 Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed,
And gather the grain of thy threshing-floor?

13 The wings of the ostrich wave proudly;
But are they the pinions and plumage of [c]love?
14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth,
And warmeth them in the dust,
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,
Or that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She [d]dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers:
Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear;
17 Because God hath [e]deprived her of wisdom,
Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18 What time she [f]lifteth up herself on high,
She scorneth the horse and his rider.

19 Hast thou given the horse his might?
Hast thou clothed his neck with the [g]quivering mane?
20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust?
The glory of his snorting is terrible.
21 [h]He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength:
He goeth out to meet [i]the armed men.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed;
Neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth [j]against him,
The flashing spear and the javelin.
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage;
Neither [k]believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.
25 As oft as the trumpet soundeth he saith, Aha!
And he smelleth the battle afar off,
The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth,
And stretcheth her wings toward the south?
27 Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up,
And maketh her nest on high?
28 On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home,
Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.
29 From thence she spieth out the prey;
Her eyes behold it afar off.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood:
And where the slain are, there is she.

Footnotes

  1. Job 39:4 Or, return not unto them
  2. Job 39:7 Or, taskmaster
  3. Job 39:13 Or, a stork
  4. Job 39:16 Or, is hardened against
  5. Job 39:17 Hebrew made her to forget wisdom.
  6. Job 39:18 Or, rouseth herself up to flight
  7. Job 39:19 Hebrew shaking.
  8. Job 39:21 Hebrew They paw.
  9. Job 39:21 Or, the weapons
  10. Job 39:23 Or, upon
  11. Job 39:24 Or, standeth he still at etc.

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(A) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(B)
Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?(C)
They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

“Who let the wild donkey(D) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
I gave it the wasteland(E) as its home,
    the salt flats(F) as its habitat.(G)
It laughs(H) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.(I)
It ranges the hills(J) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

“Will the wild ox(K) consent to serve you?(L)
    Will it stay by your manger(M) at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?(N)
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?(O)
    Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain
    and bring it to your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
    though they cannot compare
    with the wings and feathers of the stork.(P)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
    that some wild animal may trample them.(Q)
16 She treats her young harshly,(R) as if they were not hers;
    she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
    or give her a share of good sense.(S)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs(T) at horse and rider.

19 “Do you give the horse its strength(U)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(V)
    striking terror(W) with its proud snorting?(X)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(Y)
    and charges into the fray.(Z)
22 It laughs(AA) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(AB) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear(AC) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(AD)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(AE) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(AF)

26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?(AG)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?(AH)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag(AI) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(AJ)
    its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is.”(AK)