Job 39

Revised Geneva Translation

39 “Will you hunt the prey for the lion? Or fill the appetite of the lion’s whelps

² “when they crouch in their places, and remain in the lair to lie in wait?

³ “Who provides game for the raven when its offspring cry to God, and wander for lack of food?

⁴ “Do you know the time when the wild goats bring forth young? Do you mark when the hinds calve?

⁵ “Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bring forth?

⁶ “They bow themselves. They bruise their young and cast out their sorrows.

⁷ “Their young grow fat and grow up with grain. They go forth and do not return to them.

⁸ “Who has set the wild donkey at liberty? Or who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey,

⁹ “who has made the wilderness his house, and the salt places his dwellings?

¹⁰ He derides the multitude of the city. He does not hear the cry of the driver.

¹¹ “He seeks out the mountain for his pasture, and searches after every green thing.

¹² “Will the wild ox serve you? Or will he wait by your crib?

¹³ “Can you bind the wild ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he plow the valleys after you?

¹⁴ “Will you trust in him, because his strength is great, and cast off your labor to him?

¹⁵ “Will you believe in him, that he will bring home your seed and gather it into your barn?

¹⁶ “Did you give the pleasant wings to the peacocks, or wings and feathers to the ostrich,

¹⁷ “which leaves its eggs in the earth, and makes them warm in the dust,

¹⁸ “and forgets that the foot might scatter them, or that the wild beast might break them?

¹⁹ “She shows herself cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers. Yet, she is without concern, though she travailed in vain.

²⁰ “For God has deprived her of wisdom and has given her no part of understanding.

²¹ “When time, she mounts on high. She mocks the horse and its rider.

²² “Have you given the horse strength, covered its neck with a mane?

²³ “Have you made him afraid, as the grasshopper? His strong snorting is fearful.

²⁴ “He digs in the valley and rejoices in strength. He goes forth to meet the armoured.

²⁵ “He mocks at fear, and is not afraid, and does not turn back from the sword.

²⁶ “The quiver rattles against him and the glittering spear and the shield.

²⁷ “He swallows the ground from fierceness and rage, and he does not believe that it is the noise of the trumpet.

²⁸ “He says among the trumpets, ‘Ha, ha!’ He smells the battle far off, and the noise of the captains, and the shouting.

²⁹ “Shall the hawk fly by your wisdom, his wings toward the South?

³⁰ “Does the eagle mount up at your commandment, or make his nest on high?

³¹ “She abides and remains in the rock, upon the top of the rock, and the tower.

³² “From there she spies for food. Her eyes look far away.

³³ “Her young ones also suck up blood. And where the slain are, there she is.”

³⁴ Moreover the LORD spoke to Job, and said,

³⁵ “Shall he who strives with the Almighty instruct? He who reproves God, let him answer for it.”

³⁶ Then Job answered the LORD, saying,

³⁷ “Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer You? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.

³⁸ “I have spoken once, but I will answer no more. Indeed, twice, but I will proceed no further.”