Job 39:1-30 - Compare All Versions

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“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its ropes? I gave it the wasteland as its home, the salt flats as its habitat. It laughs at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver’s shout. It ranges the hills for its pasture and searches for any green thing. “Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will it stay by your manger at night? Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness? Will it till the valleys behind you? Will you rely on it for its great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to it? Can you trust it to haul in your grain and bring it to your threshing floor? “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider. “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane? Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting? It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray. It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. At the blast of the trumpet it snorts, ‘Aha!’ It catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry. “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high? It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold. From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar. Its young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there it is.”

“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does? Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth, when they crouch, bring forth their offspring, and are delivered of their young? Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open; they go out and do not return to them. “Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, to whom I have given the arid plain for his home and the salt land for his dwelling place? He scorns the tumult of the city; he hears not the shouts of the driver. He ranges the mountains as his pasture, and he searches after every green thing. “Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger? Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you? Will you depend on him because his strength is great, and will you leave to him your labor? Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it to your threshing floor? “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love? For she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed on the ground, forgetting that a foot may crush them and that the wild beast may trample them. She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear, because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding. When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider. “Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying. He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons. He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword. Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin. With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold. From there he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it from far away. His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he.”

“Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched as deer are born in the wild? Do you know how many months they carry their young? Are you aware of the time of their delivery? They crouch down to give birth to their young and deliver their offspring. Their young grow up in the open fields, then leave home and never return. “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes? I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland. It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it. The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass. “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall? Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you? Given its strength, can you trust it? Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work? Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor? “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust. She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them. She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn’t care if they die. For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding. But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider. “Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its neck with a flowing mane? Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is terrifying! It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength when it charges out to battle. It laughs at fear and is unafraid. It does not run from the sword. The arrows rattle against it, and the spear and javelin flash. It paws the ground fiercely and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows. It snorts at the sound of the horn. It senses the battle in the distance. It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle. “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest? It lives on the cliffs, making its home on a distant, rocky crag. From there it hunts its prey, keeping watch with piercing eyes. Its young gulp down blood. Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”

Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the deer in labor? Can you count the months they are pregnant  so you can know the time they give birth? They crouch down to give birth to their young; they deliver their newborn.  Their offspring are healthy and grow up in the open field. They leave and do not return.  Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from its harness? I made the desert  its home, and the salty  wasteland its dwelling. It scoffs at the noise of the village and never hears the shouts of a driver.  It roams the mountains for its pastureland, searching for anything green. Would the wild ox be willing to serve you? Would it spend the night by your feeding trough? Can you hold the wild ox  to a furrow by its harness? Will it plow the valleys behind you? Can you depend on it because its strength is great? Would you leave it to do your hard work? Can you trust the wild ox to harvest your grain and bring it to your threshing floor? The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but are her feathers and plumage like the stork’s?  , She abandons her eggs on the ground and lets them be warmed in the sand. She forgets that a foot may crush them or that some wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not her own, with no fear that her labor may have been in vain. For God has deprived her of wisdom; he has not endowed her with understanding.  When she proudly  spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider. Do you give strength to the horse? Do you adorn his neck with a mane?  Do you make him leap like a locust? His proud snorting fills one with terror. He paws  in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle.  He laughs at fear, since he is afraid of nothing; he does not run from the sword. A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and a javelin. He charges ahead  with trembling rage; he cannot stand still at the sound of the ram’s horn. When the ram’s horn blasts, he snorts defiantly.  He smells the battle from a distance; he hears the officers’ shouts and the battle cry. Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread its wings to the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and make its nest  on high? It lives on a cliff where it spends the night; its stronghold is on a rocky crag. From there it searches for prey;  its eyes penetrate the distance. Its brood gulps down blood, and where the slain are, it is there.

Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth? They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, They cast out their sorrows. Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; They go forth, and return not unto them. Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? Whose house I have made the wilderness, And the barren land his dwellings. He scorneth the multitude of the city, Neither regardeth he the crying of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searcheth after every green thing. Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, Or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gather it into thy barn? Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? Or wings and feathers unto the ostrich? Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, And warmeth them in dust, And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may break them. She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: Her labour is in vain without fear; Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding. What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider. Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: He goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; Neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, The glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: Neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting. Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, And stretch her wings toward the south? Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, And make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, Upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the prey, And her eyes behold afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood: And where the slain are, there is she.

“Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth? Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young? They bow down, They bring forth their young, They deliver their offspring. Their young ones are healthy, They grow strong with grain; They depart and do not return to them. “Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the onager, Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the barren land his dwelling? He scorns the tumult of the city; He does not heed the shouts of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searches after every green thing. “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he bed by your manger? Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Or will he plow the valleys behind you? Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him? Will you trust him to bring home your grain, And gather it to your threshing floor? “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s? For she leaves her eggs on the ground, And warms them in the dust; She forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may break them. She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; Her labor is in vain, without concern, Because God deprived her of wisdom, And did not endow her with understanding. When she lifts herself on high, She scorns the horse and its rider. “Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder? Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror. He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the clash of arms. He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword. The quiver rattles against him, The glittering spear and javelin. He devours the distance with fierceness and rage; Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded. At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, The thunder of captains and shouting. “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, And spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle mount up at your command, And make its nest on high? On the rock it dwells and resides, On the crag of the rock and the stronghold. From there it spies out the prey; Its eyes observe from afar. Its young ones suck up blood; And where the slain are, there it is.”

“Do you know the month when mountain goats give birth? Have you ever watched a doe bear her fawn? Do you know how many months she is pregnant? Do you know the season of her delivery, when she crouches down and drops her offspring? Her young ones flourish and are soon on their own; they leave and don’t come back. “Who do you think set the wild donkey free, opened the corral gates and let him go? I gave him the whole wilderness to roam in, the rolling plains and wide-open places. He laughs at his city cousins, who are harnessed and harried. He’s oblivious to the cries of teamsters. He grazes freely through the hills, nibbling anything that’s green. “Will the wild buffalo condescend to serve you, volunteer to spend the night in your barn? Can you imagine hitching your plow to a buffalo and getting him to till your fields? He’s hugely strong, yes, but could you trust him, would you dare turn the job over to him? You wouldn’t for a minute depend on him, would you, to do what you said when you said it? “The ostrich flaps her wings futilely— all those beautiful feathers, but useless! She lays her eggs on the hard ground, leaves them there in the dirt, exposed to the weather, Not caring that they might get stepped on and cracked or trampled by some wild animal. She’s negligent with her young, as if they weren’t even hers. She cares nothing about anything. She wasn’t created very smart, that’s for sure, wasn’t given her share of good sense. But when she runs, oh, how she runs, laughing, leaving horse and rider in the dust. “Are you the one who gave the horse his prowess and adorned him with a shimmering mane? Did you create him to prance proudly and strike terror with his royal snorts? He paws the ground fiercely, eager and spirited, then charges into the fray. He laughs at danger, fearless, doesn’t shy away from the sword. The banging and clanging of quiver and lance don’t faze him. He quivers with excitement, and at the trumpet blast races off at a gallop. At the sound of the trumpet he neighs mightily, smelling the excitement of battle from a long way off, catching the rolling thunder of the war cries. “Was it through your know-how that the hawk learned to fly, soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts? Did you command the eagle’s flight, and teach her to build her nest in the heights, Perfectly at home on the high cliff face, invulnerable on pinnacle and crag? From her perch she searches for prey, spies it at a great distance. Her young gorge themselves on carrion; wherever there’s a roadkill, you’ll see her circling.”

“Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer? “Can you count the months they fulfill, Or do you know the time they give birth? “They kneel down, they deliver their young, They get rid of their labor pains. “Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them. ¶“Who sent the wild donkey out free? And who opened the bonds of the swift donkey, To whom I gave the wilderness as his home, And the salt land as his dwelling place? “He laughs at the turmoil of the city, He does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster. “He explores the mountains of his pasture, And searches after every green thing. “Will the wild bull be willing to serve you, Or will he spend the night at your feeding trough? “Can you tie down the wild bull in a furrow with ropes, Or will he plow the valleys after you? “Will you trust him because his strength is great, And leave your labor to him? “Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain And gather it from your threshing floor? ¶“The wings of the ostrich flap joyously, With the pinion and feathers of love, For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust, And she forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild animal may trample them. “She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor is for nothing, she is unconcerned, Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding. “When she rushes away on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider. ¶“Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? “Do you make him leap like locusts? His majestic snorting is frightening. “He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the battle. “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword. “The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin. “He races over the ground with a roar and fury, And he does not stand still when he hears the sound of the trumpet. “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’ And he senses the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry. ¶“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south? “Is it at your command that the eagle flies high, And makes his nest on high? “He dwells and spends his nights on the cliff, On the rocky cliff, an inaccessible place. “From there he tracks food; His eyes look at it from afar. “His young ones also lick up blood greedily; And where the slain are, there he is.”

“Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock give birth [to their young]? Do you observe the calving of the deer? “Can you count the months that they carry offspring, Or do you know the time when they give birth? “They kneel down, they bring forth their young, They cast out their labor pains. “Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them. ¶“Who sent out the wild donkey free [from dependence on man]? And who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey [to survive in the wild], To whom I gave the wilderness as his home And the salt land as his dwelling place? “He scorns the tumult of the city, And does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster. “He explores the mountains as his pasture And searches after every green thing. “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you, Or remain beside your manger at night? “Can you bind the wild ox with a harness [to the plow] in the furrow? Or will he plow the valleys for you? “Will you trust him because his strength is great And leave your labor to him? “Will you have faith and depend on him to return your grain And gather it from your threshing floor? ¶“The [flightless] wings of the ostrich wave joyously; With the pinion (shackles, fetters) and plumage of love, For she leaves her eggs on the ground And warms them in the dust, Forgetting that a foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them. “She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor is in vain because she is unconcerned [for the safety of her brood], For God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding. “Yet when she lifts herself on high, [So swift is she that] she laughs at the horse and his rider. ¶“Have you given the horse his might? Have you clothed his neck with quivering and a shaking mane? “Have you [Job] made him leap like a locust? The majesty of his snorting [nostrils] is terrible. “He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men]. “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And [in battle] he does not turn back from the sword. “The quiver rattles against him, [As do] the flashing spear and the lance [of his rider]. “With fierceness and rage he races to devour the ground, And he does not stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet. “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’ And he smells the battle from far away, And senses the thunder of the captains and the war cry. ¶“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south [as winter approaches]? “Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up And makes his nest on high [in an inaccessible place]? “On the cliff he dwells and remains [securely], Upon the point of the rock and the inaccessible stronghold. “From there he spies out the prey; His eyes see it from far away. “His young ones suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is he.”

“Are you acquainted with the way the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch as the wild deer give birth to their young? Do you count the months they must fulfill, and do you know the time they give birth? They crouch, they bear their young, they bring forth the offspring they have carried. Their young grow strong, and grow up in the open; they go off, and do not return to them. Who let the wild donkey go free? Who released the bonds of the donkey, to whom I appointed the steppe for its home, the salt wastes as its dwelling place? It scorns the tumult in the town; it does not hear the shouts of a driver. It ranges the hills as its pasture, and searches after every green plant. Is the wild ox willing to be your servant? Will it spend the night at your feeding trough? Can you bind the wild ox to a furrow with its rope, will it till the valleys, following after you? Will you rely on it because its strength is great? Will you commit your labor to it? Can you count on it to bring in your grain, and gather the grain to your threshing floor? “The wings of the ostrich flap with joy, but are they the pinions and plumage of a stork? For she leaves her eggs on the ground, and lets them be warmed on the soil. She forgets that a foot might crush them, or that a wild animal might trample them. She is harsh with her young, as if they were not hers; she is unconcerned about the uselessness of her labor. For God deprived her of wisdom, and did not impart understanding to her. But as soon as she springs up, she laughs at the horse and its rider. “Do you give the horse its strength? Do you clothe its neck with a mane? Do you make it leap like a locust? Its proud neighing is terrifying! It paws the ground in the valley, exulting mightily, it goes out to meet the weapons. It laughs at fear and is not dismayed; it does not shy away from the sword. On it the quiver rattles; the lance and javelin flash. In excitement and impatience it consumes the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet is blown. 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. “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, and spreads its wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle soars, and builds its nest on high? It lives on a rock and spends the night there, on a rocky crag and a fortress. From there it spots its prey, its eyes gaze intently from a distance. And its young ones devour the blood, and where the dead carcasses are, there it is.”