Job 39

The Lord Continues: The Mountain Goats

1 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth?Do you watch the does when they are in labor?2 Can you count the months they are pregnantor know the time when they’ll give birth?3 They kneel down to give birth and deliver their young.Then the pain of giving birth is over.4 Their young are healthy and grow up in the wild.They leave and don’t come back.

The Wild Donkey

5 “Who lets the wild donkey go free?Who unties the ropes of the wild donkey?6 I gave it the desert to live inand the salt flats as its dwelling place.7 It laughs at the noise of the cityand doesn’t even listen to the shouting of its master.8 It explores the mountains for its pastureand looks for anything green.

The Wild Ox

9 “Will the wild ox agree to serve you,or will it stay at night beside your feeding trough?10 Can you guide a wild ox in a furrow,or will it plow the valleys behind you?11 Can you trust it just because it’s so strongor leave your labor to it?12 Can you rely on it to bring your grain backand take it to your threshing floor?t

The Ostrich

13 “Does the ostrich flap its wings in joy,or do its wings lack feathers?t14 It lays its eggs on the groundand warms them in the dust.15 It forgets that a foot may crush themor a wild animal may trample them.16 It acts harshly toward its young as if they weren’t its own.It is not afraid that its work is for nothing17 because God has deprived it of wisdomand did not give it any understanding.18 It laughs at the horse and its rider when it gets up to flee.

The Horse

19 “Can you give strength to a horseor dress its neck with a flowing mane?20 Can you make it leap like a locust,when its snorting causes terror?21 It paws in strength and finds joy in its power.It charges into battle.22 It laughs at fear,is afraid of nothing,and doesn’t back away from swords.23 A quiver of arrows rattles on italong with the flashing spear and javelin.24 Anxious and excited, the horse eats up the groundand doesn’t trust the sound of the ram’s horn.25 As often as the horn sounds, the horse says, ‘Aha!’and it smells the battle far away—the thundering orders of the captains and the battle cries.

The Birds of Prey

26 “Does your understanding make a bird of prey flyand spread its wings toward the south?27 Is it by your order that the eagle flies highand makes its nest on the heights?28 It perches for the night on a cliff.Its fortress is on a jagged peak.29 From there it seeks food,and its eyes see it from far away.30 Its young ones feed on blood.It is found wherever there are dead bodies.”

Job 39

1 “Are you acquainted with the wayt
the mountain goatst give birth?
Do you watch as the wild deer give birth to their young?

2 Do you count the months they must fulfill,
and do you know the time they give birth?t

3 They crouch, they bears their young,
they bring forth the offspring they have carried.t

4 Their young grow strong, and grow up in the open;t
they go off, and do not return to them.

5 Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who released the bonds of the donkey,

6 to whom I appointed the steppe for its home,
the salt wastes as its dwelling place?

7 It scorns the tumult in the town;
it does not hear the shouts of a driver.s

8 It ranges the hills as its pasture,
and searches after every green plant.

9 Is the wild ox willing to be your servant?
Will it spend the night at your feeding trough?

10 Can you bind the wild oxt to a furrow with its rope,
will it till the valleys, following after you?

11 Will you rely on it because its strength is great?
Will you committ your labor to it?

12 Can you count ont it to bring ins your grain,t
and gather the graint to your threshing floor?t

13 s “The wings of the ostricht flap with joy,t
but are they the pinions and plumage of a stork?t

14 For she leavest her eggs on the ground,
and lets them be warmed on the soil.

15 She forgets that a foot might crush them,
or that a wild animalt might trample them.

16 She is harshs with her young,
as if they were not hers;
she is unconcerned
about the uselessness of her labor.

17 For God deprived her of wisdom,
and did not impart understanding to her.

18 But as soon as she springs up,t
she laughs at the horse and its rider.

19 “Do you give the horse its strength?
Do you clothe its neck with a mane?t

20 Do you make it leaps like a locust?
Its proud neighingt is terrifying!

21 Its paws the ground in the valley,t
exulting mightily,t
it goes out to meet the weapons.

22 It laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
it does not shy away from the sword.

23 On it the quiver rattles;
the lance and javelint flash.

24 In excitement and impatience it consumes the ground;t
it cannot stand stillt when the trumpet is blown.

25 At the sound of the trumpet, it says, ‘Aha!’
And from a distance it catches the scent of battle,
the thunderous shouting of commanders,
and the battle cries.

26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,t
and spreads its wings toward the south?

27 Is it at your commandt that the eagle soars,
and builds its nest on high?

28 It lives on a rock and spends the night there,
on a rocky cragt and a fortress.t

29 From there it spotst its prey,t
its eyes gaze intently from a distance.

30 And its young ones devour the blood,
and where the dead carcassest are,
there it is.”