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13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly;
    but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth,
    warms them in the dust,
15 and forgets that the foot may crush them,
    or that the wild animal may trample them.
16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers.
    Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear,
17 because God has deprived her of wisdom,
    neither has he imparted to her understanding.
18 When she lifts up herself on high,
    she scorns the horse and his rider.

19 “Have you given the horse might?
    Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
20 Have you made him to leap as a locust?
    The glory of his snorting is awesome.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength.
    He goes out to meet the armed men.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed,
    neither does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
    the flashing spear and the javelin.
24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage,
    neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’
    He smells the battle afar off,
    the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars,
    and stretches her wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up,
    and makes his nest on high?
28 On the cliff he dwells, and makes his home,
    on the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.
29 From there he spies out the prey.
    His eyes see it afar off.
30 His young ones also suck up blood.
    Where the slain are, there he is.”

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On the Ostrich

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyously,
    but aren’t its pinions and feathers like the stork?
14 She abandons her eggs on the ground
    and lets them be warmed in the sand,
15 but she forgets that a foot might crush them
    or any wild animal might trample them.
16 She mistreats her young as though they’re not hers,
    and she has no fear that her labor may be in vain,
17 because God didn’t grant her wisdom
    and never gave her understanding.
18 And yet when she gets ready to run,
    she laughs at the horse and its rider.”

On the Horse

19 Do you instill the horse with strength?
    Do you clothe its neck with a mane?
20 Can you make him leap like the locust,
    and make the splendor of his snorting terrifying?
21 He paws the ground[a] in the valley
    and rejoices in his strength;
        he goes out to face weapons.
22 He scoffs at fear
    and is never scared;
        he never retreats from a sword.
23 A quiver of arrows rattles against his side,
    along with a flashing spear and a lance.
24 Leaping in his excitement, he takes in[b] the ground;
    he cannot stand still when the trumpets sound!
25 When the trumpet blasts he’ll neigh, ‘Aha! Aha!’
    From a distance he can sense war,
        the war cry of generals,[c] and their shouting.”

On Raptors

26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk flies,
    spreading its wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle soar high at your command[d]
    and build its nest on the highest crags?
28 He dwells on the crags where he makes his home,
    there on the rocky crag is his stronghold.
29 From there he searches for prey,
    and his eyes recognize it from a distance.
30 His young ones feast[e] on blood;
    he’ll be found wherever there’s a carcass.”[f]

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Footnotes

  1. Job 39:21 The Heb. lacks the ground
  2. Job 39:24 Lit. swallows
  3. Job 39:25 Or officers
  4. Job 39:27 Lit. mouth
  5. Job 39:30 Lit. suck up
  6. Job 39:30 Or slain