1 “ Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?

“Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?

2 C an you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?

Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young?

3 T hey bow themselves, they bear their young. They end their labor pains.

They bow down, They bring forth their young, They deliver their offspring.

4 T heir young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.

Their young ones are healthy, They grow strong with grain; They depart and do not return to them.

5 “ Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,

“Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the onager,

6 W hose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?

Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the barren land his dwelling?

7 H e scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.

He scorns the tumult of the city; He does not heed the shouts of the driver.

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

The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searches after every green thing.

9 “ Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?

“Will the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he bed by your manger?

10 C an you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?

Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Or will he plow the valleys behind you?

11 W ill you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor?

Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him?

12 W ill you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?

Will you trust him to bring home your grain, And gather it to your threshing floor?

13 “ The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love?

“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?

14 F or she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,

For she leaves her eggs on the ground, And warms them in the dust;

15 a nd forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.

She forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may break them.

16 S he deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear,

She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; Her labor is in vain, without concern,

17 b ecause God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.

Because God deprived her of wisdom, And did not endow her with understanding.

18 W hen she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.

When she lifts herself on high, She scorns the horse and its rider.

19 “ Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?

“Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder?

20 H ave you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.

Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror.

21 H e paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.

He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the clash of arms.

22 H e mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.

He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword.

23 T he quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.

The quiver rattles against him, The glittering spear and javelin.

24 H e eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.

He devours the distance with fierceness and rage; Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.

25 A s often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, The thunder of captains and shouting.

26 “ Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?

“Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, And spread its wings toward the south?

27 I s it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?

Does the eagle mount up at your command, And make its nest on high?

28 O n the cliff he dwells, and makes his home, on the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.

On the rock it dwells and resides, On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.

29 F rom there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.

From there it spies out the prey; Its eyes observe from afar.

30 H is young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”

Its young ones suck up blood; And where the slain are, there it is. ”