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39 Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth [their young]? [Or] do you observe when the hinds are giving birth? [Do you attend to all this, Job?]

Can you number the months that they carry their offspring? Or do you know the time when they are delivered,

When they bow themselves, bring forth their young ones, [and] cast out their pains?

Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; they go forth and return not to them.

Who has sent out the wild donkey, giving him his freedom? Or who has loosed the bands of the swift donkey [by which his tame brother is bound—he, the shy, the swift-footed, and the untamable],

Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?

He scorns the tumult of the city and hears not the shoutings of the taskmaster.

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

Will the wild ox be willing to serve you, or remain beside your manger?

10 Can you bind the wild ox with a harness to the plow in the furrow? Or will he harrow the furrows for you?

11 Will you trust him because his strength is great, or to him will you leave your labor?

12 Will you depend upon him to bring home your seed and gather the grain of your threshing floor? [Who, Job, was the author of this strange variance in the disposition of animals so alike in appearance? Was it you?]

13 The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, [but] are they the pinions and plumage of love?

14 The ostrich leaves her eggs on the ground and warms them in the dust,

15 Forgetting that a foot may crush them or that the wild beast may trample them.

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain because she has no sense of danger [for her unborn brood],

17 For God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has He imparted to her understanding.

18 Yet when she lifts herself up in flight, [so swift is she that] she can laugh to scorn the horse and his rider.

19 Have you given the horse his might? Have you clothed his neck with quivering and a shaking mane?

20 Was it you [Job] who made him to leap like a locust? The majesty of his [snorting] nostrils is terrible.

21 He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men].

22 He mocks at fear and is not dismayed or terrified; neither does he turn back [in battle] from the sword.

23 The quiver rattles upon him, as do the glittering spear and the lance [of his rider].

24 [He seems in running to] devour the ground with fierceness and rage; neither can he stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet.

25 As often as the trumpet sounds he says, Ha, ha! And he smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 Is it by your wisdom [Job] that the hawk soars and stretches her wings toward the south [as winter approaches]?

27 Does the eagle mount up at your command and make his nest on [a] high [inaccessible place]?

28 On the cliff he dwells and remains securely, upon the point of the rock and the stronghold.

29 From there he spies out the prey; and his eyes see it afar off.

30 His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he.

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)

The Lord Continues: The Mountain Goats

39 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth?
    Do you watch the does when they are in labor?
Can you count the months they are pregnant
    or know the time when they’ll give birth?
        They kneel down to give birth and deliver their young.
            Then the pain of giving birth is over.
            Their young are healthy and grow up in the wild.
                They leave and don’t come back.

The Wild Donkey

“Who lets the wild donkey go free?
    Who unties the ropes of the wild donkey?
I gave it the desert to live in
    and the salt flats as its dwelling place.
It laughs at the noise of the city
    and doesn’t even listen to the shouting of its master.
It explores the mountains for its pasture
    and looks for anything green.

The Wild Ox

“Will the wild ox agree to serve you,
    or will it stay at night beside your feeding trough?
10 Can you guide a wild ox in a furrow,
    or will it plow the valleys behind you?
11 Can you trust it just because it’s so strong
    or leave your labor to it?
12 Can you rely on it to bring your grain back
    and take it to your threshing floor?[a]

The Ostrich

13 “Does the ostrich flap its wings in joy,
    or do its wings lack feathers?[b]
14 It lays its eggs on the ground
    and warms them in the dust.
15 It forgets that a foot may crush them
    or a wild animal may trample them.
16 It acts harshly toward its young as if they weren’t its own.
    It is not afraid that its work is for nothing
17 because Eloah has deprived it of wisdom
    and did not give it any understanding.
18 It laughs at the horse and its rider when it gets up to flee.

The Horse

19 “Can you give strength to a horse
    or dress its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Can you make it leap like a locust,
    when its snorting causes terror?
21 It paws in strength and finds joy in its power.
    It charges into battle.
22 It laughs at fear,
    is afraid of nothing,
        and doesn’t back away from swords.
23 A quiver of arrows rattles on it
    along with the flashing spear and javelin.
24 Anxious and excited, the horse eats up the ground
    and doesn’t trust the sound of the ram’s horn.
25 As often as the horn sounds, the horse says, ‘Aha!’
    and it smells the battle far away—
        the thundering orders of the captains and the battle cries.

The Birds of Prey

26 “Does your understanding make a bird of prey fly
    and spread its wings toward the south?
27 Is it by your order that the eagle flies high
    and makes its nest on the heights?
28 It perches for the night on a cliff.
    Its fortress is on a jagged peak.
29 From there it seeks food,
    and its eyes see it from far away.
30 Its young ones feed on blood.
    It is found wherever there are dead bodies.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 39:12 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks.
  2. Job 39:13 Or “Do its wings compare well with the wings and feathers of the stork?”