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)

Dios habla de la naturaleza y sus criaturas

39 ¿Conoces tú el tiempo en que paren las cabras monteses[a](A)?
¿Has observado el parto de las ciervas(B)?
¿Puedes contar los meses de su gestación,
o conoces el tiempo en que han de parir?
Se encorvan, paren sus crías,
y se libran de sus dolores de parto.
Sus crías se fortalecen, crecen en campo abierto;
se van y no vuelven a ellas.

¿Quién dejó en libertad al asno montés(C)?
¿Y quién soltó las ataduras del asno veloz,
al cual di por hogar el desierto(D),
y por morada la tierra salada(E)?
Se burla del tumulto de la ciudad,
no escucha los gritos del arriero.
Explora los montes buscando su pasto,
y anda tras toda hierba verde.
¿Consentirá en servirte el búfalo(F),
o pasará la noche en tu pesebre?
10 ¿Puedes atar al búfalo con coyundas[b] para el surco,
o rastrillará los valles en pos de ti?
11 ¿Confiarás en él por ser grande su fuerza
y le confiarás tu labor?
12 ¿Tendrás fe en él de que te devolverá tu grano[c],
y de que lo recogerá de tu era?

13 Baten alegres las alas del avestruz,
¿acaso con el ala y plumaje del amor[d]?
14 Porque abandona sus huevos en la tierra,
y sobre el polvo los calienta;
15 se olvida de que algún pie los[e] puede aplastar,
o una bestia salvaje los[f] puede pisotear.
16 Trata a sus hijos con crueldad(G), como si no fueran suyos;
aunque su trabajo sea en vano, le es indiferente[g];
17 porque Dios le ha hecho olvidar la sabiduría,
y no le ha dado su porción de inteligencia.
18 Pero cuando se levanta en alto[h],
se burla del caballo y de su jinete.

19 ¿Das tú al caballo su fuerza?
¿Revistes su cuello de crines?
20 ¿Le haces saltar(H) como la langosta?
Terrible es su formidable resoplido(I);
21 escarba[i] en el valle, y se regocija en su fuerza;
sale al encuentro de las armas(J).
22 Se burla del temor y no se acobarda,
ni retrocede ante la espada.
23 Resuena contra él la aljaba,
la lanza reluciente y la jabalina.
24 Con ímpetu y furor corre sobre[j] la tierra;
y no se está quieto al sonido de la trompeta.
25 Cada vez que la trompeta suena, como que dice: «¡Ea!»,
y desde lejos olfatea la batalla,
las voces atronadoras de los capitanes y el grito de guerra.

26 ¿Acaso por tu sabiduría se eleva el gavilán,
extendiendo sus alas hacia el sur?
27 ¿Acaso a tu mandato[k] se remonta el águila
y hace en las alturas su nido(K)?
28 En la peña mora y se aloja,
sobre la cima del despeñadero[l], lugar inaccesible.
29 Desde allí acecha la presa[m](L);
desde muy lejos sus ojos la divisan.
30 Sus polluelos chupan la sangre;
y donde hay muertos, allí está ella(M).

Footnotes

  1. Job 39:1 Lit., de la peña
  2. Job 39:10 Lit., su cuerda
  3. Job 39:12 Lit., semilla
  4. Job 39:13 O, de una cigüeña
  5. Job 39:15 Lit., lo
  6. Job 39:15 Lit., lo
  7. Job 39:16 Lit., no tiene temor
  8. Job 39:18 O, para huir
  9. Job 39:21 Lit., escarban
  10. Job 39:24 O, devora
  11. Job 39:27 Lit., boca
  12. Job 39:28 O, de la peña
  13. Job 39:29 Lit., el alimento

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.