Job 39

¹Whethir thou knowist the tyme of birthe of wielde geet in stoonys, ethir hast thou aspied hyndis bryngynge forth calues?

²Hast thou noumbrid the monethis of her conseyuyng, and hast thou knowe the tyme of her caluyng?

³Tho ben bowid to the calf, and caluen; and senden out roryngis.

⁴Her calues ben departid, and goen to pasture; tho goen out, and turnen not ayen to `tho hyndis.

⁵Who let go the wielde asse fre, and who loside the boondis of hym?

⁶To whom Y haue youe an hows in wildirnesse, and the tabernacles of hym in the lond of saltnesse.

⁷He dispisith the multitude of citee; he herith not the cry of an axere.

⁸He lokith aboute the hillis of his lesewe, and he sekith alle greene thingis.

⁹Whether an vnycorn schal wilne serue thee, ethir schal dwelle at thi cratche?

¹⁰Whether thou schalt bynde the vnicorn with thi chayne, for to ere, ethir schal he breke the clottis of valeis aftir thee?

¹¹Whether thou schalt haue trist in his grete strengthe, and schalt thou leeue to hym thi traueils?

¹²Whether thou schalt bileue to hym, that he schal yelde seed to thee, and schal gadere togidere thi cornfloor?

¹³The fethere of an ostriche is lijk the fetheris of a gerfawcun, and of an hauk;

¹⁴which ostrige forsakith hise eirun in the erthe, in hap thou schalt make tho hoot in the dust.

¹⁵He foryetith, that a foot tredith tho, ethir that a beeste of the feeld al tobrekith tho.

¹⁶He is maad hard to hise briddis, as if thei ben not hise; he traueilide in veyn, while no drede constreynede.

¹⁷For God hath priued hym fro wisdom, and `yaf not vnderstondyng to hym.

¹⁸Whanne tyme is, he reisith the wengis an hiy; he scorneth the hors, and his ridere.

¹⁹Whether thou schalt yyue strengthe to an hors, ether schal yyue neiyng `aboute his necke?

²⁰Whether thou schalt reyse hym as locustis? The glorie of hise nosethirlis is drede.

²¹He diggith erthe with the foot, he `fulli ioieth booldli; he goith ayens armed men.

²²He dispisith ferdfulnesse, and he yyueth not stide to swerd.

²³An arowe caas schal sowne on hym; a spere and scheeld schal florische.

²⁴He is hoot, and gnastith, and swolewith the erthe; and he arettith not that the crie of the trumpe sowneth.

²⁵Whanne he herith a clarioun, he `seith, Joie! he smellith batel afer; the excityng of duykis, and the yellyng of the oost.

²⁶Whether an hauk spredinge abrood hise wyngis to the south, bigynneth to haue fetheris bi thi wisdom?

²⁷Whether an egle schal be reisid at thi comaundement, and schal sette his nest in hiy places?

²⁸He dwellith in stoonys, and he dwellith in flyntis brokun bifor, and in rochis, to whiche `me may not neiye.

²⁹Fro thennus he biholdith mete, and hise iyen loken fro fer.

³⁰Hise briddis souken blood, and where euere a careyn is, anoon he is present.

³¹And the Lord addide, and spak to Joob,

³²Whether he, that stryueth with God, schal haue rest so liytli? Sotheli he, that repreueth God, owith for to answere to hym.

³³Forsothe Joob answeride to the Lord,

³⁴and seide, What may Y answere, which haue spoke liytli? Y schal putte myn hond on my mouth.

³⁵Y spak o thing, which thing Y wold, that Y hadde not seid; and Y spak anothir thing, to which Y schal no more adde.

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.