Add parallel Print Page Options

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
    Do you watch when the deer gives birth to her fawn?
Do you count the months until they give birth?
    Do you know when the time is right for them to give birth?
They lie down, and their young are born.
    Then the pain of giving birth is over.
Their young ones grow and become strong in the wild country.
    Then they leave their homes and do not come back.

“Who let the wild donkey go free?
    Who untied his ropes?
I am the one who gave the donkey the desert as his home.
    I gave him the desert lands as a place to live.
The wild donkey laughs at the confusion in the city.
    He does not hear the drivers shout.
He roams the hills looking for pasture.
    And he looks for anything green to eat.

“Will the wild ox agree to serve you?
    Will he stay by your feeding box at night?
10 Can you hold him to the plowed row with a harness?
    Will he plow the valleys for you?
11 Will you depend on the wild ox for his great strength?
    Will you leave your heavy work for him to do?
12 Can you trust the ox to bring in your grain?
    Will he gather it to your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap happily.
    But the ostrich’s wings are not as beautiful as the feathers of the stork.
14 The ostrich lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand.
15 She does not stop to think that a foot might step on them and crush them.
    She does not care that some animal might walk on them.
16 The ostrich is cruel to her young, as if they were not even hers.
    She does not care that her work is for nothing.
17 This is because God did not give the ostrich wisdom.
    God did not give her a share of good sense.
18 But when the ostrich gets up to run, she is so fast
    that she laughs at the horse and its rider.

19 “Job, are you the one who gives the horse his strength?
    Or do you put a flowing mane on his neck?
20 Do you make the horse jump like a locust?
    He scares people with his proud snorting.
21 He paws wildly, enjoying his strength.
    And he charges into the battle.
22 He laughs at fear and is afraid of nothing.
    He will not run away from the sword.
23 The bag of arrows rattles against the horse’s side.
    It is there with the flashing spears.
24 With great excitement, the horse races over the ground.
    He cannot stand still when he hears the trumpet.
25 When the trumpet blows, the horse snorts, ‘Aha!’
    He smells the battle from far away.
    He hears the thunder of commanders and the shouts of battle.

26 “Is it through your wisdom that the hawk flies?
    Is this why he spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Are you the one that commands the eagle to fly
    and build his nest so high?
28 The eagle lives on a high cliff and stays there at night.
    The rocky peak is his protected place.
29 From there he looks for his food.
    His eyes can see it from far away.
30 His young eat blood.
    And where there is something dead, the eagle is there.”

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)

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 ones, they cast out their sorrows.

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

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

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

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

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

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 her's: 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.