from Crossway1“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does? (1Sa 24:2; Ps 29:9; Ps 104:18)2Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth,3when they crouch, bring forth their offspring, and are delivered of their young? (1Sa 4:19)4Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open; they go out and do not return to them. (Ge 8:12)5“Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, (Job 12:18; Ps 116:16)6to whom I have given the arid plain for his home and the salt land for his dwelling place? (De 29:23; Job 24:5; Ps 107:34; Jer 2:24; Jer 17:6)7He scorns the tumult of the city; he hears not the shouts of the driver.8He ranges the mountains as his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.9“Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger? (Nu 23:22; Pr 14:4; Isa 1:3)10Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you? (Job 39:9)11Will you depend on him because his strength is great, and will you leave to him your labor?12Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?13“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love?[1]14For she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed on the ground,15forgetting that a foot may crush them and that the wild beast may trample them.16She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear, (Isa 49:4; Isa 65:23; La 4:3)17because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding. (Job 35:11)18When she rouses herself to flee,[2] she laughs at the horse and his rider.19“Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?20Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying. (Jer 8:16)21He paws[3] in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons. (Jer 8:6)22He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword.23Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin.24With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. (Jer 4:19; Am 3:6)25When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.26“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south?27Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? (Nu 24:21; Jer 49:16; Ob 1:4; Hab 2:9)28On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold. (1Sa 14:5)29From there he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it from far away.30His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he.” (Mt 24:28; Lu 17:37)
Job 39
New International Version
from Biblica1‘Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?2Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?3They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labour pains are ended.4Their 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?6I gave it the wasteland as its home, the salt flats as its habitat.7It laughs at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver’s shout.8It 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?10Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness? Will it till the valleys behind you?11Will you rely on it for its great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to it?12Can 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.14She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand,15unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.16She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labour was in vain,17for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.18Yet 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?20Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting?21It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray.22It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword.23The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance.24In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.25At 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 towards the south?27Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?28It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold.29From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar.30Its young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there it is.’
Job 39
New International Reader’s Version
from Biblica1‘Job, do you know when mountain goats have their babies? Do you watch when female deer give birth?2Do you count the months until the animals have their babies? Do you know the time when they give birth?3They bend their back legs and have their babies. Then their labour pains stop.4Their little ones grow strong and healthy in the wild. They leave and do not come home again.5‘Who let the wild donkeys go free? Who untied their ropes?6I gave them the dry and empty land as their home. I gave them salt flats to live in.7They laugh at all the noise in town. They do not hear the shouts of the donkey drivers.8They wander over the hills to look for grass. They search for anything green to eat.9‘Job, will wild oxen agree to serve you? Will they stay by your feed box at night?10Can you keep them in straight rows with harnesses? Will they plough the valleys behind you?11Will you depend on them for their great strength? Will you let them do your heavy work?12Can you trust them to haul in your corn? Will they bring it to your threshing-floor?13‘The wings of ostriches flap with joy. But they can’t compare with the wings and feathers of storks.14Ostriches lay their eggs on the ground. They let them get warm in the sand.15They do not know that something might step on them. A wild animal might walk all over them.16Ostriches are mean to their little ones. They treat them as if they did not belong to them. They do not care that their work was useless.17I did not provide ostriches with wisdom. I did not give them good sense.18But when they spread their feathers to run, they laugh at a horse and its rider.19‘Job, do you give horses their strength? Do you put flowing manes on their necks?20Do you make them jump like locusts? They terrify others with their proud snorting.21They paw the ground wildly. They are filled with joy. They charge at their enemies.22They laugh at fear. They are not afraid of anything. They do not run away from swords.23Many arrows rattle at their sides. Flashing spears and javelins are also there.24They are so excited that they race over the ground. They can’t stand still when trumpets are blown.25When they hear the trumpets they snort, “Aha!” They catch the smells of battle far away. They hear the shouts of commanders and the battle cries.26‘Job, are you wise enough to teach hawks where to fly? They spread their wings and fly towards the south.27Do you command eagles to fly so high? They build their nests as high as they can.28They live on cliffs and stay there at night. High up on the rocks they think they are safe.29From there they look for their food. They can see it from far away.30Their little ones like to eat blood. Eagles gather where they see dead bodies.’