⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you.
    Or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
⁸ Speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
    Or let the fish of the sea tell you.
⁹ Every one of these knows
    that the hand of the Lord has done this.
¹⁰ The life of every creature
    and the breath of all people are in God’s hand.

²⁴ “There are four things on earth that are small.
    But they are very wise:
²⁵ Ants are not very strong.
    But they store up food in the summer.
²⁶ Rock badgers are not powerful animals.
    But they can live among the rocks.
²⁷ Locusts have no king.
    But they all go out in formation.
²⁸ And lizards can be caught in the hand.
    But they are found even in kings’ palaces.

²⁹ “There are three things that strut proudly.
    There are really four that walk as if they are important:
³⁰ Lions are the proudest animals.
    They are strong and run from nothing.
³¹ Roosters and male goats strut proudly.
    And so does a king when his army is around him.