Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth?
Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
Canst thou number the months that they fulfil?
Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young,
They cast out their pains.
Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They go forth, and {Or, return not unto them}return not again.
Who hath sent out the wild ass free?
Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the salt land his dwelling-place?
He scorneth the tumult of the city,
Neither heareth he the shoutings of the {Or, taskmaster}driver.
The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searcheth after every green thing.
Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee?
Or will he abide by thy crib?
Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow?
Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great?
Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor?
Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed,
And gather the grain of thy threshing-floor?
The wings of the ostrich wave proudly;
But are they the pinions and plumage of {Or, a stork}love?
For she leaveth her eggs on the earth,
And warmeth them in the dust,
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,
Or that the wild beast may trample them.
She {Or, is hardened against}dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers:
Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear;
Because God hath {Hebrew: made her to forget wisdom.}deprived her of wisdom,
Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
What time she {Or, rouseth herself up to flight}lifteth up herself on high,
She scorneth the horse and his rider.
Hast thou given the horse his might?
Hast thou clothed his neck with the {Hebrew: shaking.}quivering mane?
Hast thou made him to leap as a locust?
The glory of his snorting is terrible.
{Hebrew: They paw.}He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength:
He goeth out to meet {Or, the weapons}the armed men.
He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed;
Neither turneth he back from the sword.
The quiver rattleth {Or, upon}against him,
The flashing spear and the javelin.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage;
Neither {Or, standeth he still at &c.}believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.
As oft as the trumpet soundeth he saith, Aha!
And he smelleth the battle afar off,
The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth,
And stretcheth her wings toward the south?
Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up,
And maketh her nest on high?
On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home,
Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.
From thence she spieth out the prey;
Her eyes behold it afar off.
Her young ones also suck up blood:
And where the slain are, there is she.
Querverweise zu Hiob 39,17 Hiob 39,17
For thou hast hid their heart from understanding:Therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth,And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens?
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for Jehovah thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart {Hebrew: strong.}obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as at this day.
Howbeit in the business of the {Hebrew: interpreters.}ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?
Where then are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now; and let them know what Jehovah of hosts hath purposed concerning Egypt.
The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Memphis are deceived; they have caused Egypt to go astray, that are the corner-stone of her tribes.
Jehovah hath mingled a spirit of perverseness in the midst of her; and they have caused Egypt to go astray in every work thereof, as a drunken man {Or, goeth astray}staggereth in his vomit.
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on {Hebrew: turning away.}backsliding in the way of his heart.
Every good {Or, giving}gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.