Job 39

¹Do you know at what time the wild goats have given birth among the rocks, or do you observe the deer when they go into labor?

²Have you numbered the months since their conception, and do you know at what time they gave birth?

³They bend themselves for their offspring, and they give birth, and they emit roars.

⁴Their young are weaned and go out to feed; they depart and do not return to them.

⁵Who has set the wild ass free, and who has released his bonds?

⁶I have given a house in solitude to him, and his tabernacle is in the salted land.

⁷He despises the crowded city; he does not pay attention to the bellow of the tax collector.

⁸He looks around the mountains of his pasture, and he searches everywhere for green plants.

⁹Will the rhinoceros be willing to serve you, and will he remain in your stall?

¹⁰Can you detain the rhinoceros with your harness to plough for you, and will he loosen the soil of the furrows behind you?

¹¹Will you put your faith in his great strength, and delegate your labors to him?

¹²Will you trust him to return to you the seed, and to gather it on your drying floor?

¹³The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.

¹⁴When she leaves eggs behind in the earth, will you perhaps warm them in the dust?

¹⁵She forgets that feet may trample them, or that the beasts of the field may shatter them.

¹⁶She is hardened against her young, as if they were not hers; she has labored in vain, with no fear compelling her.

¹⁷For God has deprived her of wisdom; neither has he given her understanding.

¹⁸Yet, when the time is right, she raises her wings on high; she ridicules the horse and his rider.

¹⁹Will you supply strength to the horse, or envelope his throat with neighing?

²⁰Will you alarm him as the locusts do? His panic is revealed by the display of his nostrils.

²¹He digs at the earth with his hoof; he jumps around boldly; he advances to meet armed men.

²²He despises fear; he does not turn away from the sword.

²³Above him, the quiver rattles, the spear and the shield shake.

²⁴Seething and raging, he drinks up the earth; neither does he pause when the blast of the trumpet sounds.

²⁵When he hears the bugle, he says, “Ha!” He smells the battle from a distance, the exhortation of the officers, and the battle cry of the soldiers.

²⁶Does the hawk grow feathers by means of your wisdom, spreading her wings towards the south?

²⁷Will the eagle lift herself up at your command and make her nest in steep places?

²⁸She dwells among the rocks, and she lingers among broken boulders and inaccessible cliffs.

²⁹From there, she looks for food, and her eyes catch sight of it from far away.

³⁰Her young will drink blood, and wherever the carcass will be, she is there immediately.

³¹And the Lord continued, and he said to Job:

³²Will he who contends with God be so easily silenced? Certainly, he who argues with God must also respond to him.

³³Then Job answered the Lord, saying:

³⁴What could I possibly answer, since I have been speaking thoughtlessly? I will place my hand over my mouth.

³⁵One thing I have spoken, which I wish I had not said; and another, to which I will add no more.

Job 39

¹Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?

²Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

³They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.

⁴Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.

⁵Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?

⁶To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.

⁷He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.

⁸He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing.

⁹Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?

¹⁰Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?

¹¹Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?

¹²Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?

¹³The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.

¹⁴When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.

¹⁵She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.

¹⁶She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.

¹⁷For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.

¹⁸When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.

¹⁹Wilt thou give strength to the horse or clothe his neck with neighing?

²⁰Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.

²¹He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.

²²He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword.

²³Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.

²⁴Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.

²⁵When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.

²⁶Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?

²⁷Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?

²⁸She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.

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

³⁰Her young ones shall suck up blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.

³¹And the Lord went on, and said to Job:

³²Shall he that contendeth with God be so easily silenced? surely he that reproveth God, ought to answer him.

³³Then Job answered the Lord, and said:

³⁴What can I answer, who hath spoken inconsiderately? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.

³⁵One thing I have spoken, which I wish I had not said: and another, to which I will add no more.