Holman Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the deer in labor?

1"Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer?

2Can you count the months they are pregnant so you can know the time they give birth?

2"Can you count the months they fulfill, Or do you know the time they give birth?

3They crouch down to give birth to their young; they deliver their newborn.

3"They kneel down, they bring forth their young, They get rid of their labor pains.

4Their offspring are healthy and grow up in the open field. They leave and do not return.

4"Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them.

5Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from its harness?

5"Who sent out the wild donkey free? And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

6I made the wilderness its home, and the salty wasteland its dwelling.

6To whom I gave the wilderness for a home And the salt land for his dwelling place?

7It scoffs at the noise of the village and never hears the shouts of a driver.

7"He scorns the tumult of the city, The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.

8It roams the mountains for its pastureland, searching for anything green.

8"He explores the mountains for his pasture And searches after every green thing.

9Would the wild ox be willing to serve you? Would it spend the night by your feeding trough?

9"Will the wild ox consent to serve you, Or will he spend the night at your manger?

10Can you hold the wild ox to a furrow by its harness? Will it plow the valleys behind you?

10"Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes, Or will he harrow the valleys after you?

11Can you depend on it because its strength is great? Would you leave it to do your hard work?

11"Will you trust him because his strength is great And leave your labor to him?

12Can you trust the wild ox to harvest your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?

12"Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain And gather it from your threshing floor?

13The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but are her feathers and plumage like the stork's?

13"The ostriches' wings flap joyously With the pinion and plumage of love,

14She abandons her eggs on the ground and lets them be warmed in the sand.

14For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust,

15She forgets that a foot may crush them or that some wild animal may trample them.

15And she forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may trample them.

16She treats her young harshly, as if they were not her own, with no fear that her labor may have been in vain.

16"She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned;

17For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.

17Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding.

18When she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.

18"When she lifts herself on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider.

19Do you give strength to the horse? Do you adorn his neck with a mane?

19"Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

20Do you make him leap like a locust? His proud snorting fills one with terror.

20"Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrible.

21He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; He charges into battle.

21"He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons.

22He laughs at fear, since he is afraid of nothing; he does not run from the sword.

22"He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword.

23A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and a lance.

23"The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin.

24He charges ahead with trembling rage; he cannot stand still at the trumpet's sound.

24"With shaking and rage he races over the ground, And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.

25When the trumpet blasts, he snorts defiantly. He smells the battle from a distance; he hears the officers' shouts and the battle cry.

25"As often as the trumpet sounds he says, 'Aha!' And he scents the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

26Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread its wings to the south?

26"Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south?

27Does the eagle soar at your command and make its nest on high?

27"Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up And makes his nest on high?

28It lives on a cliff where it spends the night; its stronghold is on a rocky crag.

28"On the cliff he dwells and lodges, Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.

29From there it searches for prey; its eyes penetrate the distance.

29"From there he spies out food; His eyes see it from afar.

30Its brood gulps down blood, and where the slain are, it is there.

30"His young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is he."

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org