Print Page Options

以動物的生態質問約伯

39 “山巖間的野山羊的產期你能曉得嗎?

母鹿下犢之期你能察出嗎?

牠們懷胎的月數你能計算嗎?

牠們生產的日期你能曉得嗎?

牠們屈身,把子產下,

就除掉生產的疼痛。

幼雛漸漸健壯,在荒野長大,

牠們一離群出去,就不再返回。

誰放野驢自由出去呢?

誰解開快驢的繩索呢?

我使原野作牠的家,

使鹹地作牠的居所。

牠嗤笑城裡的喧嘩,

不聽趕野驢的呼喝聲;

牠探索群山作牠的草場,

尋覓各樣青綠的東西。

野牛怎肯作你的僕人,

或在你的槽旁過夜呢?

10 你怎能用套繩把野牛繫在犁溝呢?

牠怎肯跟著你耙山谷之地呢?

11 你怎能因牠的力大就倚賴牠?

怎能把你所作的交給牠作呢?

12 怎能信任牠能把你的糧食運回來;

又收聚你禾場上的穀粒呢?

13 鴕鳥的翅膀欣然鼓動,

但牠的翎毛和羽毛哪有慈愛呢?

14 牠把蛋都留在地上,

使它們在土裡得溫暖,

15 牠卻忘記了人的腳可以把蛋踩碎,

野地的走獸會把蛋踐踏。

16 牠苛待幼雛,看牠們好像不是自己生的,

就算牠的勞苦白費了,也漠不關心,

17 因為 神使牠忘記了智慧,

也沒有把聰明分給牠。

18 牠挺身鼓翼奔跑的時候,

就譏笑馬和騎馬的人。

19 馬的大力是你所賜的嗎?

牠頸上的鬃毛是你披上的嗎?

20 是你使牠跳躍像蝗蟲嗎?

牠噴氣之威使人驚惶。

21 牠在谷中扒地,以己力為樂,

牠出去迎戰手持武器的人。

22 牠譏笑可怕的事,並不驚慌,

也不在刀劍的面前退縮。

23 箭袋、閃爍的矛與槍,

都在牠的身上錚錚有聲。

24 牠震抖激動,馳騁大地,

一聽見角聲,就不能站定。

25 角聲一響,牠就說‘呵哈’,

牠從遠處聞到戰爭的氣味,

又聽見軍長的雷聲和戰爭的吶喊。

26 鷹鳥飛翔,展翅南飛,

是因著你的聰明嗎?

27 大鷹上騰,在高處築巢,

是聽你的吩咐嗎?

28 牠住在山巖之上,

棲息在巖崖與堅固所在之上,

29 從那裡窺看獵物,

牠們的眼睛可以從遠處觀望。

30 牠的幼雛也都吮血;

被殺的人在哪裡,鷹也在哪裡。”

39 “Do you know when mountain goats give birth?
Have you seen deer in labor?
Can you tell how many months they carry their young?
Do you know when they give birth,
when they crouch down and bring forth their young,
when they deliver their fawns?
Their young become strong, growing up in the open;
they leave and never return.

“Who lets the wild donkey roam freely?
Who sets the wild donkey loose from its shackles?
I made the ‘Aravah its home,
the salty desert its place to live.
It scorns the noise of the city
and hears no driver’s shouts.
It ranges over the hills for its pasture,
searching for anything green.

“Would a wild ox be willing to serve you?
Would it stay by your stall?
10 Could you tie a rope around its neck
and make it plow furrows for you?
11 Would you trust its great strength enough
to let it do your heavy work,
12 or rely on it to bring home your seed
and gather the grain from your threshing-floor?
13 “An ostrich’s wings beat wildly,
although its pinions lack plumage.
14 It leaves its eggs on the ground
and lets them be warmed by the sand,
15 forgetting that a foot may crush them
or a wild animal trample on them.
16 It treats its chicks heartlessly,
as if they were not its own;
even if her labor is in vain,
it really doesn’t care;
17 because God has deprived it of wisdom
and given it no share in understanding.
18 When the time comes, it flaps its wings,
scorning both horse and rider.

19 “Did you give the horse its strength?
Did you clothe its neck with a mane?
20 Did you make him able to leap like a locust?
Its majestic snorting is frightening!
21 It paws with force and exults with vigor,
then charges into the battle;
22 mocking at fear, unafraid,
it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The [rider’s] quiver rattles over it,
[his] gleaming spear and javelin.
24 Frenzied and eager, it devours the ground,
scarcely believing the shofar has sounded.
25 At the sound of the shofar it whinnies;
as from afar it scents the battle,
the roar of the chiefs and the shouting.

26 “Is it your wisdom that sets the hawk soaring,
spreading its wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle fly up when you say so,
to build its nest in the heights?
28 It lives and spends its nights on the cliffs;
a rocky crag is its fortress.
29 From there it spots its prey,
its eyes see it far off.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
wherever the slain are, there it is.”

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)

God Continues to Challenge Job

39 “Do you know the time when the wild (A)mountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when (B)the deer gives birth?
Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their [a]offspring.
Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.

“Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the [b]onager,
(C)Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the [c]barren land his dwelling?
He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after (D)every green thing.

“Will the (E)wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12 Will you trust him to bring home your [d]grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16 She (F)treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without [e]concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not (G)endow her with understanding.
18 When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.

19 “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with [f]thunder?
20 Can you [g]frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
(H)He gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.

26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27 Does the (I)eagle mount up at your command,
And (J)make its nest on high?
28 On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29 From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
And (K)where the slain are, there it is.

Footnotes

  1. Job 39:3 Lit. pangs
  2. Job 39:5 A species of wild donkey
  3. Job 39:6 Lit. salt land
  4. Job 39:12 Lit. seed
  5. Job 39:16 Lit. fear
  6. Job 39:19 Or a mane
  7. Job 39:20 make him spring

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.