Job 39

1Have you knowledge of the rock-goats? or do you see the roes giving birth to their young?

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

2Is the number of their months fixed by you? or is the time when they give birth ordered by you?

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

3They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body.

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

4Their young ones are strong, living in the open country; they go out and do not come back again.

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

5Who has let the ass of the fields go free? or made loose the bands of the loud-voiced beast?

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

6To whom I have given the waste land for a heritage, and the salt land as a living-place.

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

7He makes sport of the noise of the town; the voice of the driver does not come to his ears;

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

8He goes looking for his grass-lands in the mountains, searching out every green thing.

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

9Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?

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

10Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?

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

11Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?

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

12Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?

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

13Is the wing of the ostrich feeble, or is it because she has no feathers,

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

14That she puts her eggs on the earth, warming them in the dust,

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

15Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field?

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

16She is cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers; her work is to no purpose; she has no fear.

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

17For God has taken wisdom from her mind, and given her no measure of knowledge.

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

18When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him.

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

19Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?

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

20Is it through you that he is shaking like a locust, in the pride of his loud-sounding breath?

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

21He is stamping with joy in the valley; he makes sport of fear.

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

22In his strength he goes out against the arms of war, turning not away from the sword.

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

23The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.

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

24Shaking with passion, he is biting the earth; he is not able to keep quiet at the sound of the horn;

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

25When it comes to his ears he says, Aha! He is smelling the fight from far off, and hearing the thunder of the captains, and the war-cries.

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

26Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south?

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

27Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high?

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

28On the rock is his house, and on the mountain-top his strong place.

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

29From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off.

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

30His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.

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