Job 39

God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings

1 "Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the deer?

2 "Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?

3 "They kneel down, they bring forth their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.

4 "Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.

5 "Who sent out the wild donkey free?
And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

6 To whom I gave the wilderness for a home
And the salt land for his dwelling place?

7 "He scorns the tumult of the city,
The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.

8 "He explores the mountains for his pasture
And searches after every green thing.

9 "Will the wild ox consent to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your manger?

10 "Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you?

11 "Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?

12 "Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

13 "The ostriches' wings flap joyously
With the pinion and plumage of tlove,

14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,

15 And she forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may trample them.

16 "She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned;

17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.

18 "When she lifts herself on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 "Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

20 "Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic snorting is terrible.

21 "He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He goes out to meet the weapons.

22 "He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.

23 "The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.

24 "With shaking and rage he races over the ground,
And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.

25 "As often as the trumpet sounds he says, 'Aha!'
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

26 "Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his 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 lodges,
Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.

29 "From there he spies out food;
His eyes see it from afar.

30 "His young ones also suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there is he."

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.”