39 Do you know when mountain goats give birth?
Have you watched the deer in labor?
Can you count the months they are pregnant[a]
so you can know the time they give birth?
They crouch down to give birth to their young;
they deliver their newborn.[b]
Their offspring are healthy and grow up in the open field.
They leave and do not return.[c]

Who set the wild donkey free?
Who released the swift donkey from its harness?
I made the desert(A) its home,
and the salty(B) wasteland its dwelling.
It scoffs at the noise of the village
and never hears the shouts of a driver.(C)
It roams the mountains for its pastureland,
searching for anything green.
Would the wild ox be willing to serve you?
Would it spend the night by your feeding trough?
10 Can you hold the wild ox(D) to a furrow by its harness?
Will it plow the valleys behind you?
11 Can you depend on it because its strength is great?
Would you leave it to do your hard work?
12 Can you trust the wild ox to harvest your grain
and bring it to your threshing floor?

13 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
but are her feathers and plumage like the stork’s?[d](E)
14 She abandons her eggs on the ground
and lets them be warmed in the sand.
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them
or that some wild animal may trample them.
16 She treats her young harshly, as if they were not her own,
with no fear that her labor may have been in vain.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom;
he has not endowed her with understanding.(F)
18 When she proudly[e] spreads her wings,
she laughs at the horse and its rider.

19 Do you give strength to the horse?
Do you adorn his neck with a mane?[f]
20 Do you make him leap like a locust?
His proud snorting fills one with terror.
21 He paws[g] in the valley and rejoices in his strength;
he charges into battle.[h]
22 He laughs at fear, since he is afraid of nothing;
he does not run from the sword.
23 A quiver rattles at his side,
along with a flashing spear and a javelin.
24 He charges ahead[i] with trembling rage;
he cannot stand still at the sound of the ram’s horn.
25 When the ram’s horn blasts, he snorts defiantly.[j]
He smells the battle from a distance;
he hears the officers’ shouts and the battle cry.

26 Does the hawk take flight by your understanding
and spread its wings to the south?
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
and make its nest(G) on high?
28 It lives on a cliff where it spends the night;
its stronghold is on a rocky crag.
29 From there it searches for prey;(H)
its eyes penetrate the distance.
30 Its brood gulps down blood,
and where the slain are, it is there.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 39:2 Lit months they fulfill
  2. 39:3 Or they send away their labor pains
  3. 39:4 Lit return to them
  4. 39:13 Hb obscure
  5. 39:18 Hb obscure
  6. 39:19 Hb obscure
  7. 39:21 LXX, Syr; MT reads They dig
  8. 39:21 Lit he goes out to meet the weaponry
  9. 39:24 Lit He swallows the ground
  10. 39:25 Lit he says, “Aha!”

39 “你知道野山羊何时生产吗?
你看过母鹿产仔吗?
你能算出它们怀胎的月数吗?
你知道它们分娩的日期吗?
它们几时屈身产仔,
结束分娩之痛?
幼仔健壮,在荒野长大,
离群而去,不再回来。

“谁让野驴逍遥自在?
谁解开了它的缰绳?
我使它以旷野为家,
以盐地作居所。
它嗤笑城邑的喧闹,
不听赶牲口的吆喝。
它以群山作草场,
寻找青翠之物。

“野牛岂肯为你效劳,
在你的槽旁过夜?
10 你岂能用缰绳把野牛牵到犁沟?
它岂肯跟着你在山谷耕地?
11 你岂能倚靠它的大力,
把你的重活交给它?
12 岂能靠它运回粮食,
替你堆聚到麦场?

13 “鸵鸟欢然拍动翅膀,
它岂有白鹳的翎羽?
14 它将蛋产在地上,
使蛋得到沙土的温暖,
15 却不知蛋会被踩碎,
或遭野兽践踏。
16 它苛待雏鸟,好像它们并非己出,
就算徒劳一场,它也不怕。
17 因为上帝未赐它智慧,
没有给它悟性。
18 然而,一旦它展翅奔跑,
必嗤笑马儿和骑士。

19 “马的力量岂是你赐的?
它颈上的鬃毛岂是你披的?
20 岂是你使它跳跃如蝗虫,
发出令人胆寒的长嘶?
21 它在谷中刨地,
炫耀力量,奋力冲向敌军。
22 它嘲笑恐惧,毫不害怕,
不因刀剑而退缩。
23 它背上的箭袋铮铮作响,
长矛和投枪闪闪发光。
24 角声一响,它便无法静立,
狂烈地颤抖,急于驰骋大地。
25 听到角声,它就发出长嘶,
它老远便嗅到战争的气味,
并听见吶喊和将领的号令。

26 “鹰隼展翅翱翔,飞往南方,
岂是靠你的智慧?
27 秃鹰腾飞,在高处搭窝,
岂是奉你的命令?
28 它居住在悬崖上,
盘踞在山岩峭壁,
29 它从那里搜寻猎物,
它的目光直达远方。
30 它的幼雏噬血,
哪里有尸体,它就在哪里。”

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)

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?
Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their [a]offspring.
Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.

“Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the [b]onager,
(C)Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the [c]barren land his dwelling?
He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after (D)every green thing.

“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.

Footnotes

  1. Job 39:3 Lit. pangs
  2. Job 39:5 A species of wild donkey
  3. Job 39:6 Lit. salt land
  4. Job 39:12 Lit. seed
  5. Job 39:16 Lit. fear
  6. Job 39:19 Or a mane
  7. Job 39:20 make him spring