Job 39
Amplified Bible
God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings
39 “Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock give birth [to their young]?
Do you observe the calving of the deer?
2
“Can you count the months that they [a]carry offspring,
Or do you know the time when they give birth?
3
“They kneel down, they bring forth their young,
They cast out their labor pains.
4
“Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.
5
“Who sent out the wild donkey free [from dependence on man]?
And who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey [to survive in the wild],
6
To whom I gave the wilderness as his home
And the salt land as his dwelling place?
7
“He scorns the tumult of the city,
And does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.
8
“He explores the mountains as his pasture
And searches after every green thing.
9
“Will the wild ox be willing to serve you,
Or remain beside your manger at night?
10
“Can you bind the wild ox with a harness [to the plow] in the furrow?
Or will he plow the valleys for you?
11
“Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?
12
“Will you have faith and depend on him to return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
13
“The [flightless] wings of the ostrich wave joyously;
With the pinion (shackles, fetters) and plumage of love,
14
For she leaves her eggs on the ground
And warms them in the dust,
15
Forgetting that a foot may crush them,
Or that the wild beast may trample them.
16
“She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor is in vain because she is unconcerned [for the safety of her brood],
17
For God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18
“Yet when she lifts herself [b]on high,
[So swift is she that] she laughs at the horse and his rider.
19
“Have you given the horse his might?
Have you clothed his neck with quivering and a shaking mane?
20
“Have you [Job] made him leap like a locust?
The majesty of his snorting [nostrils] is terrible.
21
“He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength;
He goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men].
22
“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And [in battle] he does not turn back from the sword.
23
“The quiver rattles against him,
[As do] the flashing spear and the lance [of his rider].
24
“With fierceness and rage he races to devour the ground,
And he does not stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet.
25
“As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he smells the battle from far away,
And senses the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
26
“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south [as winter approaches]?
27
“Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
And makes his nest on high [in an inaccessible place]?
28
“On the cliff he dwells and remains [securely],
Upon the point of the rock and the inaccessible stronghold.
29
“From there he spies out the prey;
His eyes see it from far away.
30
“His young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there is he.”
Job 39
Tree of Life Version
39 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving doe?
2 Do you count the months they fulfill
and do you know the time when they give birth
3 when they kneel, bring forth their young,
and their labor pains end?
4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the open field;
They leaveand never return to them.
5 “Who sent the wild donkey free?
Who released the bonds of the wild ass,
6 to whom I gave the Arabah as its home,
the salt land as its dwelling place?
7 It scorns the commotion in the town;
it does not hear the taskmaster’s shouts.
8 It explores the mountains as its pasture
and searches after every green thing.
9 “Is the wild ox willing to serve you?
Will it spend the night at your manger?
10 Will you bind a wild ox to a furrow with his rope?
Will it plow valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?
Will you leave your labor to it?
12 Can you trust it to bring in your seed
and gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyously,
but are they the pinions and plumage of a stork?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the soil,
15 and forgets that a foot may crush them,
that a wild beast may trample them.
16 She treats her young ones harshly, as if they were not hers;
She is not concerned that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
or give her a share of understanding.
18 When she lifts herself to flee
she laughs at the horse and its rider.
19 “Do you give the horse its strength?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you cause him to leap like locust?
His majestic snorting is terrifying!
21 He paws in the valley
and exalting in his strength he charges into the fray.
22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
he does not recoil from the sword.
23 On him the quiver rattles;
the spear and javelin flash.
24 With quaking and excitement, he swallows up the ground.
He cannot stand still when the shofar sounds.
25 At the blast of the shofar, he says, ‘Aha!’
From a distance he smells battle,
the shout of the captains and the battle cry.
26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars,
spreading its wings toward the south?
27 Is it by your command that an eagle soars
and builds its nest high?
28 It dwells on a cliff
and spends the night there, on a rocky crag and stronghold.
29 From there it searches for food;
its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood,
and where the slain are, there it is.”
Job 39
New Living Translation
The Lord’s Challenge Continues
39 “Do you know when the wild goats give birth?
Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?
2 Do you know how many months they carry their young?
Are you aware of the time of their delivery?
3 They crouch down to give birth to their young
and deliver their offspring.
4 Their young grow up in the open fields,
then leave home and never return.
5 “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom?
Who untied its ropes?
6 I have placed it in the wilderness;
its home is the wasteland.
7 It hates the noise of the city
and has no driver to shout at it.
8 The mountains are its pastureland,
where it searches for every blade of grass.
9 “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed?
Will it spend the night in your stall?
10 Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow?
Will it plow a field for you?
11 Given its strength, can you trust it?
Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?
12 Can you rely on it to bring home your grain
and deliver it to your threshing floor?
13 “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly,
but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.
14 She lays her eggs on top of the earth,
letting them be warmed in the dust.
15 She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them
or a wild animal might destroy them.
16 She is harsh toward her young,
as if they were not her own.
She doesn’t care if they die.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom.
He has given her no understanding.
18 But whenever she jumps up to run,
she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.
19 “Have you given the horse its strength
or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?
Its majestic snorting is terrifying!
21 It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength
when it charges out to battle.
22 It laughs at fear and is unafraid.
It does not run from the sword.
23 The arrows rattle against it,
and the spear and javelin flash.
24 It paws the ground fiercely
and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.
25 It snorts at the sound of the horn.
It senses the battle in the distance.
It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.
26 “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar
and spread its wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle rises
to the heights to make its nest?
28 It lives on the cliffs,
making its home on a distant, rocky crag.
29 From there it hunts its prey,
keeping watch with piercing eyes.
30 Its young gulp down blood.
Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
