Job 39

Job 39 – New International Version (NIV)

1. “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
2. Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?
3. They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended.
4. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.
5. “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its ropes?
6. I gave it the wasteland as its home, the salt flats as its habitat.
7. It laughs at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver’s shout.
8. It ranges the hills for its pasture and searches for any green thing.
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 till the valleys behind you?
11. Will you rely on it for its great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12. Can you trust it to haul in your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?
13. “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork.
14. She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand,
15. unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.
16. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17. for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.
18. Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.
19. “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20. Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting?
21. It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray.
22. It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword.
23. The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance.
24. In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
25. 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.
26. “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south?
27. Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?
28. It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold.
29. From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar.
30. Its young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there it is.”

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Job 39 – King James Version (KJV)

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