Job 39
International Children’s Bible
39 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the deer gives birth to her fawn?
2 Do you count the months until they give birth?
Do you know when the time is right for them to give birth?
3 They lie down, and their young are born.
Then the pain of giving birth is over.
4 Their young ones grow and become strong in the wild country.
Then they leave their homes and do not come back.
5 “Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who untied his ropes?
6 I am the one who gave the donkey the desert as his home.
I gave him the desert lands as a place to live.
7 The wild donkey laughs at the confusion in the city.
He does not hear the drivers shout.
8 He roams the hills looking for pasture.
And he looks for anything green to eat.
9 “Will the wild ox agree to serve you?
Will he stay by your feeding box at night?
10 Can you hold him to the plowed row with a harness?
Will he plow the valleys for you?
11 Will you depend on the wild ox for his great strength?
Will you leave your heavy work for him to do?
12 Can you trust the ox to bring in your grain?
Will he gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap happily.
But the ostrich’s wings are not as beautiful as the feathers of the stork.
14 The ostrich lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand.
15 She does not stop to think that a foot might step on them and crush them.
She does not care that some animal might walk on them.
16 The ostrich is cruel to her young, as if they were not even hers.
She does not care that her work is for nothing.
17 This is because God did not give the ostrich wisdom.
God did not give her a share of good sense.
18 But when the ostrich gets up to run, she is so fast
that she laughs at the horse and its rider.
19 “Job, are you the one who gives the horse his strength?
Or do you put a flowing mane on his neck?
20 Do you make the horse jump like a locust?
He scares people with his proud snorting.
21 He paws wildly, enjoying his strength.
And he charges into the battle.
22 He laughs at fear and is afraid of nothing.
He will not run away from the sword.
23 The bag of arrows rattles against the horse’s side.
It is there with the flashing spears.
24 With great excitement, the horse races over the ground.
He cannot stand still when he hears the trumpet.
25 When the trumpet blows, the horse snorts, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from far away.
He hears the thunder of commanders and the shouts of battle.
26 “Is it through your wisdom that the hawk flies?
Is this why he spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Are you the one that commands the eagle to fly
and build his nest so high?
28 The eagle lives on a high cliff and stays there at night.
The rocky peak is his protected place.
29 From there he looks for his food.
His eyes can see it from far away.
30 His young eat blood.
And where there is something dead, the eagle is there.”
Job 39
English Standard Version
39 “Do you know when (A)the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe (B)the calving of the does?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill,
and do you know the time when they give birth,
3 when they (C)crouch, bring forth their offspring,
and are delivered of their young?
4 Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
they go out and (D)do not return to them.
5 “Who has let the wild donkey go free?
Who has (E)loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 to whom I have given (F)the arid plain for his home
and (G)the salt land for his dwelling place?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
he hears not the shouts of the driver.
8 He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
and he searches after every green thing.
9 “Is (H)the wild ox willing to serve you?
Will he spend the night at your (I)manger?
10 Can you bind (J)him in the furrow with ropes,
or will he harrow the valleys after you?
11 Will you depend on him because his strength is great,
and will you leave to him your labor?
12 Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain
and gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
but are they the pinions and plumage of love?[a]
14 For she leaves her eggs to the earth
and lets them be warmed on the ground,
15 forgetting that a foot may crush them
and that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She (K)deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
though her (L)labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
17 because God has made her forget wisdom
and (M)given her no share in understanding.
18 When she rouses herself to flee,[b]
she laughs at the horse and his rider.
19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic (N)snorting is terrifying.
21 He paws[c] in the valley and exults in his strength;
he (O)goes out to meet the weapons.
22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
he does not turn back from the sword.
23 Upon him rattle the quiver,
the flashing spear, and the javelin.
24 With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;
he cannot stand still at (P)the sound of the trumpet.
25 When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
and spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
and makes his (Q)nest on high?
28 On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
on (R)the rocky crag and stronghold.
29 From there he spies out the prey;
his eyes behold it from far away.
30 His young ones suck up blood,
and (S)where the slain are, there is he.”
Job 39
New American Standard Bible
God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings
39 “Do you know the time the [a](A)mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the (B)deer?
2 Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
3 They kneel down, they deliver their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.
4 Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.
5 “Who sent the (C)wild donkey out free?
And who opened the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 To whom I gave (D)the wilderness as his home,
And the salt land as his dwelling place?
7 He laughs at the turmoil of the city,
He does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.
8 He explores the mountains of his pasture,
And searches after every green thing.
9 Will the (E)wild bull be willing to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your feeding trough?
10 Can you tie down the wild bull in a furrow with [b]ropes,
Or will he [c]plow the valleys after you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great,
And leave your labor to him?
12 Will you have faith in him that he will return your [d]grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyously,
With the pinion and feathers of [e]love,
14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [f]them,
Or that a wild animal may trample [g]them.
16 She treats her young (F)cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor is for nothing, she is [h]unconcerned,
17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 When she rushes away on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.
19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him (G)leap like locusts?
His majestic (H)snorting is frightening.
21 [i]He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He (I)goes out to meet the battle.
22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 He [j]races over the ground with a roar and fury,
And he does not stand still when he hears the sound of the trumpet.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he senses the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your [k]command that the eagle flies high,
And makes (J)his nest on high?
28 He dwells and spends his nights on the cliff,
On the rocky cliff, an inaccessible place.
29 From there he (K)tracks food;
His eyes look at it from afar.
30 His young ones also lick up blood greedily;
And (L)where the slain are, there he is.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
