Job

Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

1Do you know when the wild mountain goats give birth? Have you watched a deer have her fawn?

2Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

2Can you count the months they carry their young? Do you know the day they give birth?

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

3They crouch down and their young are born. Their birth pains are over.

4Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

4The young ones grow strong out in the open country. They leave and never come back.

5Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

5Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied the ropes that would hold him?

6Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.

6I gave him the empty desert for a home. I gave him the salt flats to live in.

7He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

7He laughs at the noise of the city. He never hears a driver shouting at him.

8The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

8He roams the hills looking for grass. He hunts for anything green to eat.

9Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

9Will the wild ox agree to work for you? Will he stay by your feeding box all night?

NoteWhere the KJV says "unicorn," the Hebrew word means a wild ox, a huge untamable animal much like a bull. It is not the one-horned horse of storybooks.

10Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

10Can you tie him with a rope and keep him plowing a straight row? Will he break up the valleys for you?

11Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

11He is very strong, but can you count on him? Will you hand him your hard work to do?

12Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?

12Can you trust him to haul your grain home and pile it on your threshing floor?

13Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

13Did you give the ostrich her flapping wings? They are nothing like the wings and feathers of a stork.

NoteThe KJV says "peacocks" here, but the Hebrew word is a name for the ostrich. The bird being compared to her in the second line is most likely a stork.

14Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

14She lays her eggs on the ground and lets the warm sand heat them.

15And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

15She forgets that a foot might step on them, or a wild animal might trample them.

16She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;

16She is rough with her chicks, as if they were not hers. She does not care that all her work may come to nothing.

17Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

17That is because God did not give her wisdom. He gave her no share of understanding.

18What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

18But when she gets up and runs, she laughs at the horse and its rider.

19Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

19Did you give the horse his strength? Did you put the flowing mane on his neck?

20Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.

20Do you make him leap like a locust? His proud snorting is frightening.

21He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.

21He paws the ground in the valley and enjoys his own power. He charges out to meet the fighting men.

22He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

22He laughs at fear and is scared of nothing. He does not back away from a sword.

23The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

23The arrows in their case rattle against his side, along with the flashing spear.

NoteA quiver is the case a soldier carries his arrows in. Here it hangs at the horse's side and rattles as he runs.

24He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

24Shaking with excitement, he eats up the ground. When the horn sounds, he cannot hold still.

25He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

25At every blast of the horn he snorts, "Ha!" He smells the battle far off, and hears the commanders roar and the army shout.

26Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?

26Does the hawk fly by anything you taught it? Does it spread its wings toward the south because you said so?

27Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

27Does the eagle climb the sky at your command? Does it build its nest up high because you told it to?

28She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.

28It lives on a cliff and stays there. A rocky point is its safe home.

29From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

29From up there it looks for food. Its eyes can spot a meal far away.

30Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.

30Its young drink the blood of the kill. Wherever dead bodies lie, the eagle is there.