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 (A)treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without [a]concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not (B)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 [b]thunder?
20 Can you [c]frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
(C)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 (D)eagle mount up at your command,
And (E)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 (F)where the slain are, there it is.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 39:16 Lit. fear
  2. Job 39:19 Or a mane
  3. Job 39:20 make him spring

13 The wings of the ostrich wave proudly;
But are they the pinions and plumage of [a]love?
14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth,
And warmeth them in the dust,
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,
Or that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She [b]dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers:
Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear;
17 Because God hath [c]deprived her of wisdom,
Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18 What time she [d]lifteth up herself on high,
She scorneth the horse and his rider.

19 Hast thou given the horse his might?
Hast thou clothed his neck with the [e]quivering mane?
20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust?
The glory of his snorting is terrible.
21 [f]He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength:
He goeth out to meet [g]the armed men.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed;
Neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth [h]against him,
The flashing spear and the javelin.
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage;
Neither [i]believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.
25 As oft as the trumpet soundeth he saith, Aha!
And he smelleth the battle afar off,
The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth,
And stretcheth her wings toward the south?
27 Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up,
And maketh her nest on high?
28 On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home,
Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.
29 From thence she spieth out the prey;
Her eyes behold it afar off.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood:
And where the slain are, there is she.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 39:13 Or, a stork
  2. Job 39:16 Or, is hardened against
  3. Job 39:17 Hebrew made her to forget wisdom.
  4. Job 39:18 Or, rouseth herself up to flight
  5. Job 39:19 Hebrew shaking.
  6. Job 39:21 Hebrew They paw.
  7. Job 39:21 Or, the weapons
  8. Job 39:23 Or, upon
  9. Job 39:24 Or, standeth he still at etc.