Job 39

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

²Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, and known the time of their bearing?

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

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

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

⁶To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his tabernacles in the land of saltness.

⁷He contemneth the multitude of the city, the cry of the exactor he heareth not.

⁸He looketh about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh out all green places.

⁹Will the Rhinoceros serve thee, and will he tarry at thy stall?

¹⁰Shalt thou tie the Rhinoceros with thy collar to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?

¹¹Shalt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours unto him?

¹²Wilt thou credit him that he will render thee the seed, and gather together thy barn floor?

¹³The wing of the Ostrich is like to the wings of the Herodius, and of the hawk.

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

¹⁵She forgeteth that foot may tread upon them, or beast of the field break them.

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

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

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

¹⁹Shalt thou give strength to the horse, or put neighing about his neck?

²⁰Shalt thou raise him up as Locusts? The glory of his nostrils is terror.

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

²²He contemneth fear, neither yieldeth he to the sword.

²³Upon him shall the quiver sound, the spear shall glister and the shield.

²⁴Fervent and fuming he suppeth the earth, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.

²⁵When he shall hear the trumpet he saith: Vah, he smelleth battle far off, the exhortation of the captains, and the cry of the army.

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

²⁷Shall the eagle mount at thy commandment, and put her nest in high places?

²⁸She abideth in rocks, and tarrieth among cragged flints, and stony hills where is no access.

²⁹Thence she beholdeth the prey, and her eyes see a far off.

³⁰Her young ones shall lick blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is present by and by.

³¹And our Lord added, and spake to Job:

³²He that contendeth with God is he quieted so easily? Verily he that reproveth God, ought to answer him.

³³But Job answering our Lord, said:

³⁴I that have spoken lightly what can I answer? I will put my hand upon my mouth.

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