1 ¶ Knowest thou the time when the mountain goats bring forth? Hast thou observed when the hinds calve?

Hast thou known the time of The bearing of the wild goats of the rock? The bringing forth of hinds thou dost mark!

2 C anst thou number the months that they fulfil, and knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

Thou dost number the months they fulfil? And thou hast known the time of their bringing forth!

3 H ow they crouch down, they bring forth their young ones, and dismiss their pain.

They bow down, Their young ones they bring forth safely, Their pangs they cast forth.

4 T heir young ones are healthy, they grow up with grain; they go forth and never return unto them again.

Safe are their young ones, They grow up in the field, they have gone out, And have not returned to them.

5 W ho freed the wild ass, and who loosed its bands?

Who hath sent forth the wild ass free? Yea, the bands of the wild ass who opened?

6 U nto whom I made a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the salty land.

Whose house I have made the wilderness, And his dwellings the barren land,

7 H e laughs at the multitude of the city, neither does he hearken to the voice of the exactor of tribute.

He doth laugh at the multitude of a city, The cries of an exactor he heareth not.

8 T he range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.

The range of mountains his pasture, And after every green thing he seeketh.

9 W ill the unicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by thy crib?

Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib?

10 C anst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? Will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Dost thou bind a Reem in a furrow his thick band? Doth he harrow valleys after thee?

11 W ilt thou trust him because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

Dost thou trust in him because great his power? And dost thou leave unto him thy labour?

12 W ilt thou trust him, that he will bring home thy seed and gather it into thy barn?

Dost thou trust in him That he doth bring back thy seed? And thy threshing-floor doth gather ?

13 ¶ Didst thou give beautiful wings unto the peacock, or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

The wing of the rattling ones exulteth, Whether the pinion of the ostrich or hawk.

14 W ho leaves her eggs in the earth and warms them in dust

For she leaveth on the earth her eggs, And on the dust she doth warm them,

15 a nd forgets that the foot may crush them or that the wild beast may break them.

And she forgetteth that a foot may press it, And a beast of the field tread it down.

16 S he is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, not fearing that her labour is in vain,

Her young ones it hath hardened without her, In vain her labour without fear.

17 b ecause God caused her to forget wisdom and did not give her understanding.

For God hath caused her to forget wisdom, And He hath not given a portion To her in understanding:

18 I n her time she lifts up herself on high; she scorns the horse and his rider.

At the time on high she lifteth herself up, She laugheth at the horse and at his rider.

19 ¶ Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

Dost thou give to the horse might? Dost thou clothe his neck a mane?

20 C anst thou make him leap as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is formidable.

Dost thou cause him to rush as a locust? The majesty of his snorting terrible.

21 H e paws at the earth and rejoices in his strength; he goes forth to meet the armed men.

They dig in a valley, and he rejoiceth in power, He goeth forth to meet the armour.

22 H e mocks fear and is not afraid; neither does he turn his face from the sword.

He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted, And he turneth not back from the face of the sword.

23 T he quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

Against him rattle doth quiver, The flame of a spear, and a halbert.

24 H e swallows the ground with fierceness and rage; the sound of the shofar does not trouble him;

With trembling and rage he swalloweth the ground, And remaineth not stedfast Because of the sound of a trumpet.

25 f or the blasts of the shofar fill him with courage; he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the princes and the sound of the battle-cry.

Among the trumpets he saith, Aha, And from afar he doth smell battle, Roaring of princes and shouting.

26 ¶ Does the hawk fly by thy industry and stretch her wings toward the south?

By thine understanding flieth a hawk? Spreadeth he his wings to the south?

27 D oes the eagle mount up at thy command and make her nest on high?

At thy command goeth an eagle up high? Or lifteth he up his nest?

28 S he dwells and abides on the rock upon the crag of the rock and the strong place.

A rock he doth inhabit, Yea, he lodgeth on the tooth of a rock, and fortress.

29 F rom there she seeks food, and her eyes behold afar off.

From thence he hath sought food, To a far off place his eyes look attentively,

30 H er young ones suck up the blood; and wherever the slain are, there she is.

And his brood gulph up blood, And where the pierced -- there he!