Job 39
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
39 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?
2 Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.
4 Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?
6 To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.
7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.
8 He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing.
9 Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?
10 Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?
11 Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?
12 Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?
13 The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.
14 When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.
15 She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.
17 For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.
18 When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 Wilt thou give strength to the horse, or clothe his neck with neighing?
20 Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.
21 He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.
22 He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword,
23 Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.
24 Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.
25 When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.
26 Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?
27 Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?
28 She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.
29 From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
30 Her young ones shall suck up blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.
31 And the Lord went on, and said to Job:
32 Shall he that contendeth with God be so easily silenced? surely he that reproveth God, ought to answer him.
33 Then Job answered the Lord, and said:
34 What can I answer, who hath spoken inconsiderately? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
35 One thing I have spoken, which I wish I had not said: and another, to which I will add no more.
Job 39
New King James Version
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?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
3 They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their [a]offspring.
4 Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.
5 “Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the [b]onager,
6 (C)Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the [c]barren land his dwelling?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after (D)every green thing.
9 “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.”
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
