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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

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

13 “Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? Or wings and feathers unto the ostrich,

14 which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

15 and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them?

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain without fear;

17 because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath He imparted to her understanding.

18 Yet when she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

19 “Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible.

21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth on to meet the armed men.

22 He mocketh at fear, and is not frightened, neither turneth he back from the sword.

23 The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

25 He saith among the trumpets, ‘Ha, ha!’ And he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 “Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?

27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock and the strong place.

29 From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

30 Her young ones also suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is she.”

Read full chapter