^{1 Ref} Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? `Or' canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

^{2 Ref} Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

³ They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their pains.

⁴ Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; They go forth, and return not again.

^{5 Ref} Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass,

^{6 Ref} Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the salt land his dwelling-place?

^{7 Ref} He scorneth the tumult of the city, Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.

^{8 Ref} The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searcheth after every green thing.

^{9 Ref} Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?

^{10 Ref} Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

^{11 Ref} Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor?

^{12 Ref} Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gather `the grain' of thy threshing-floor?

^{13 Ref} The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; `But' are they the pinions and plumage of love?

¹⁴ For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, And warmeth them in the dust,

¹⁵ And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them.

^{16 Ref} She dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers: Though her labor be in vain, `she is' without fear;

^{17 Ref} Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

^{18 Ref} What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider.

^{19 Ref} Hast thou given the horse `his' might? Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?

^{20 Ref} Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible.

^{21 Ref} He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: He goeth out to meet the armed men.

^{22 Ref} He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; Neither turneth he back from the sword.

^{23 Ref} The quiver rattleth against him, The flashing spear and the javelin.

^{24 Ref} He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.

^{25 Ref} As oft as the trumpet `soundeth' he saith, Aha! And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

^{26 Ref} Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth, (And) stretcheth her wings toward the south?

^{27 Ref} Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up, And maketh her nest on high?

^{28 Ref} On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home, Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.

^{29 Ref} From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off.

^{30 Ref} Her young ones also suck up blood: And where the slain are, there is she.

^{1 Ref} Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,

^{2 Ref} When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?

³ Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?

⁴ Have you knowledge of the rock-goats? or do you see the roes giving birth to their young?

^{5 Ref} Is the number of their months fixed by you? or is the time when they give birth ordered by you?

^{6 Ref} They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body.

^{7 Ref} Their young ones are strong, living in the open country; they go out and do not come back again.

^{8 Ref} Who has let the ass of the fields go free? or made loose the bands of the loud-voiced beast?

^{9 Ref} To whom I have given the waste land for a heritage, and the salt land as a living-place.

^{10 Ref} He makes sport of the noise of the town; the voice of the driver does not come to his ears;

^{11 Ref} He goes looking for his grass-lands in the mountains, searching out every green thing.

^{12 Ref} Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?

^{13 Ref} Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?

¹⁴ Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?

¹⁵ Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?

^{16 Ref} Is the wing of the ostrich feeble, or is it because she has no feathers,

^{17 Ref} That she puts her eggs on the earth, warming them in the dust,

^{18 Ref} Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field?

^{19 Ref} She is cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers; her work is to no purpose; she has no fear.

^{20 Ref} For God has taken wisdom from her mind, and given her no measure of knowledge.

^{21 Ref} When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him.

^{22 Ref} Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?

^{23 Ref} Is it through you that he is shaking like a locust, in the pride of his loud-sounding breath?

^{24 Ref} He is stamping with joy in the valley; he makes sport of fear.

^{25 Ref} In his strength he goes out against the arms of war, turning not away from the sword.

^{26 Ref} The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.

^{27 Ref} Shaking with passion, he is biting the earth; he is not able to keep quiet at the sound of the horn;

^{28 Ref} When it comes to his ears he says, Aha! He is smelling the fight from far off, and hearing the thunder of the captains, and the war-cries.

^{29 Ref} Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south?

^{30 Ref} Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high?

³¹ On the rock is his house, and on the mountain-top his strong place.

³² From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off.

³³ His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.

³⁴ ...

³⁵ Will he who is protesting give teaching to the Ruler of all? Let him who has arguments to put forward against God give an answer.

³⁶ And Job said in answer to the Lord,

³⁷ Truly, I am of no value; what answer may I give to you? I will put my hand on my mouth.

³⁸ I have said once, and even twice, what was in my mind, but I will not do so again.