1 “ Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch the deer giving birth?

“Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer?

2 C an you number the months that they carry their young? Or do you know the time when their young are born?

“Can you count the months they fulfill, Or do you know the time they give birth?

3 T hey get down and give birth to their young, and get rid of their pains.

“They kneel down, they bring forth their young, They get rid of their labor pains.

4 T heir young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They leave and do not return to them.

“Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them.

5 “ Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has taken off the ropes which held the fast donkey?

“Who sent out the wild donkey free? And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

6 I gave him the desert for a home, and the salt land for a place to live.

To whom I gave the wilderness for a home And the salt land for his dwelling place?

7 H e hates the noise of the city. He does not hear the calls of the man who drives him.

“He scorns the tumult of the city, The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.

8 H e goes looking for grass to eat on the mountains. He looks for every green thing.

“He explores the mountains for his pasture And searches after every green thing.

9 W ill the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he stay through the night by the food you give him to eat?

“Will the wild ox consent to serve you, Or will he spend the night at your manger?

10 C an you tie the wild ox to a plow in the field? Will he follow you to plow the valleys?

“Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes, Or will he harrow the valleys after you?

11 W ill you trust in him because he is very strong, and leave your work to him?

“Will you trust him because his strength is great And leave your labor to him?

12 W ill you trust him to return and bring your grain to your grain-floor?

“Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain And gather it from your threshing floor?

13 “ The wings of the ostrich wave with joy, but are they the wings of love?

“The ostriches’ wings flap joyously With the pinion and plumage of love,

14 F or she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them get warm in the dust.

For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust,

15 S he forgets that a foot might crush them, or that the wild animal may step on them.

And she forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may trample them.

16 S he is bad in the way she acts toward her young, as if they were not hers. Her work of giving birth is for nothing, for she does not care.

“She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned;

17 B ecause God has not given her wisdom or her share of understanding.

Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding.

18 W hen she begins to run, she laughs at the horse and the horseman.

“When she lifts herself on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 “ Do you give the horse his strength? Do you dress his neck with long hair?

“Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

20 D o you make him jump like the locust? The powerful noise he makes with his nostrils fills men with fear.

“Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrible.

21 H e hits his foot against the ground in the valley, and has joy in his strength. He goes out to meet the battle.

“ He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons.

22 H e laughs at fear and is not afraid. He does not turn back from the sword.

“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword.

23 T he arrows and spears he carries make noise as they hit together.

“The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin.

24 H e runs fast over the ground with shaking and anger. He cannot stand still at the sound of the horn.

“With shaking and rage he races over the ground, And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.

25 W hen the horn sounds, he laughs without fear. He smells the battle from far away. He hears the thunder of the captains, and the war cry.

“As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’ And he scents the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

26 “ Is it by your understanding that the hawk flies, spreading his wings toward the south?

“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south?

27 I s it because the eagle is obeying you that he flies high and makes his nest in a high place?

“Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up And makes his nest on high?

28 H e lives on a high rock. His strong place is on the mountain-top that is hard to reach.

“On the cliff he dwells and lodges, Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.

29 F rom there he looks for his food. His eyes see it from far away.

“From there he spies out food; His eyes see it from afar.

30 H e is where dead bodies are and his young ones drink the blood.”

“His young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is he.”