Job 39

1 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?

“Have you known the time of The bearing of the wild goats of the rock? Do you mark the bringing forth of does?

2 Can you count the months that they fulfil? Or do you know the time when they give birth?

Do you number the months they fulfill? And have you known the time of their bringing forth?

3 They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labour pains.

They bow down, They bring forth their young ones safely, They cast forth their pangs.

4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.

Their young ones are safe, They grow up in the field, they have gone out, And have not returned to them.

5 “Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,

Who has sent forth the wild donkey free? Indeed, who opened the bands of the wild donkey?

6 whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?

Whose house I have made the wilderness, And his dwellings the barren land,

7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.

He laughs at the multitude of a city, He does not hear the cries of an exactor.

8 The range of the mountains is his pasture. He searches after every green thing.

The range of mountains [is] his pasture, And he seeks after every green thing.

9 “Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?

Is a wild ox willing to serve you? Does he lodge by your crib?

10 Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?

Do you bind a wild ox in a furrow [with] his thick band? Does he harrow valleys after you?

11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labour?

Do you trust in him because his power [is] great? And do you leave your labor to him?

12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?

Do you trust in him That he brings back your seed, And gathers [it to] your threshing-floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the feathers and plumage of love?

[The] wing of the crying ostriches exults, but as a pinion and feather of a stork?

14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,

For she leaves her eggs on the earth, And she warms them on the dust,

15 and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.

And she forgets that a foot may press it, And a beast of the field treads it down.

16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labour is in vain, she is without fear,

It has hardened her young ones without her, Her labor [is] in vain, without fear.

17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.

For God has caused her to forget wisdom, And He has not given a portion To her in understanding;

18 When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.

At the time she lifts herself up on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 “Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?

Do you give might to the horse? Do you clothe his neck [with] a mane?

20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.

Do you cause him to rush as a locust? The splendor of his snorting [is] terrible.

21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.

They dig in a valley, and he rejoices in power, He goes forth to meet the armor.

22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.

He laughs at fear, and is not frightened, And he does not turn back from the face of the sword.

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

Quiver rattles against him, The flame of a spear, and a javelin.

24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the shofar.

He swallows the ground with trembling and rage, And does not remain steadfast Because of the sound of a horn.

25 As often as the shofar sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

Among the horns he says, Aha, And from afar he smells battle, Roaring of princes and shouting.

26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings towards the south?

By your understanding does a hawk fly? Does he spread his wings to the south?

27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?

At your command does an eagle go up high? Or lift up his nest?

28 On the cliff he dwells and makes his home, on the point of the cliff and the stronghold.

He inhabits a rock, Indeed, he lodges on the tooth of a rock, and fortress.

29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.

From there he has sought food, His eyes look attentively to a far-off place,

30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”

And his brood sucks up blood, And where the pierced [are]—there [is] he!”