Job 39

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

²Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?

³They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they end their labor pains.

⁴Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go forth, and do not return again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Job 39

¹Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

²Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

³They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.

⁴Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

⁵Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

⁶Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.

⁷He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

⁸The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

⁹Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

¹⁰Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

¹¹Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

¹²Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?

¹³Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

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

¹⁵And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

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

¹⁷Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

¹⁸What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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