Job 39

Mountain Goats and Deer

1 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth, Do you watch the deer when they go into labor,

2 Can you count the months they are pregnant, Do you know the time they give birth,

3 They crouch down, drop their young, and deliver their babies free of pain.

4 Their young grow strong in the open field; they leave and do not come back.”

Wild Donkey

5 “Who let the wild donkey run free, Who untied his ropes,

6 I gave him the wasteland for a home, the salt flats for his dwelling.

7 He laughs at the commotion in town; he does not hear the driver’s shout.

8 He ranges the hills for pasture, searching out green things.”

Wild Ox

9 “Will the wild ox consent to serve you, Will it stay by your manger at night,

10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness, Will it plow the valleys behind you,

11 Will you rely on its great strength, Will you trust it to do your heavy work,

12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?”

Ostrich

13 “The wings of the ostrich flap with joy, but are they like the pinions and plumage of a stork,

14 She lays her eggs on the ground, lets them warm in the sand,

15 Forgetting that a foot might crush them or some wild animal might trample them.

16 She treats her young harshly, like they are not even hers; she does not care that her work’s wasted.

17 God did not give her wisdom, did not share with her any understanding.

18 Yet when she spreads her wings to run, she laughs at horse and rider.”

Horse

19 “Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane,

20 Do you make him leap like a locust, his snorting striking terror,

21 He paws fiercely, rejoices in his strength, charges into battle.

22 He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not turn from the sword.

23 The quiver rattles against his side, the flashing spear and lance.

24 In frenzy he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.

25 At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.”

Hawk and Eagle

26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom, spread its wings toward the south,

27 Does the eagle soar at your command, build its nest up high,

28 It dwells on the cliff, stays there at night, a stronghold on the rocky crag.

29 From there it looks for prey; its eyes spot it from far away.

30 Its young gulp down blood; where the slain are, there it is.”