Job 39-40

New Living Translation

⁵ “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom?
    Who untied its ropes?
⁶ I have placed it in the wilderness;
    its home is the wasteland.
⁷ It hates the noise of the city
    and has no driver to shout at it.
⁸ The mountains are its pastureland,
    where it searches for every blade of grass.

⁹ “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed?
    Will it spend the night in your stall?
¹⁰ Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow?
    Will it plow a field for you?
¹¹ Given its strength, can you trust it?
    Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?
¹² Can you rely on it to bring home your grain
    and deliver it to your threshing floor?

¹³ “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly,
    but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.
¹⁴ She lays her eggs on top of the earth,
    letting them be warmed in the dust.
¹⁵ She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them
    or a wild animal might destroy them.
¹⁶ She is harsh toward her young,
    as if they were not her own.
    She doesn’t care if they die.
¹⁷ For God has deprived her of wisdom.
    He has given her no understanding.
¹⁸ But whenever she jumps up to run,
    she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.

¹⁹ “Have you given the horse its strength
    or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
²⁰ Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?
    Its majestic snorting is terrifying!
²¹ It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength
    when it charges out to battle.
²² It laughs at fear and is unafraid.
    It does not run from the sword.
²³ The arrows rattle against it,
    and the spear and javelin flash.
²⁴ It paws the ground fiercely
    and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.
²⁵ It snorts at the sound of the horn.
    It senses the battle in the distance.
    It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.

²⁶ “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar
    and spread its wings toward the south?
²⁷ Is it at your command that the eagle rises
    to the heights to make its nest?
²⁸ It lives on the cliffs,
    making its home on a distant, rocky crag.
²⁹ From there it hunts its prey,
    keeping watch with piercing eyes.
³⁰ Its young gulp down blood.
    Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”

² “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
    You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”

⁴ “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers?
    I will cover my mouth with my hand.
⁵ I have said too much already.
    I have nothing more to say.”

⁷ “Brace yourself like a man,
    because I have some questions for you,
    and you must answer them.

⁸ “Will you discredit my justice
    and condemn me just to prove you are right?
⁹ Are you as strong as God?
    Can you thunder with a voice like his?
¹⁰ All right, put on your glory and splendor,
    your honor and majesty.
¹¹ Give vent to your anger.
    Let it overflow against the proud.
¹² Humiliate the proud with a glance;
    walk on the wicked where they stand.
¹³ Bury them in the dust.
    Imprison them in the world of the dead.
¹⁴ Then even I would praise you,
    for your own strength would save you.

¹⁵ “Take a look at Behemoth,^[a]
    which I made, just as I made you.
    It eats grass like an ox.
¹⁶ See its powerful loins
    and the muscles of its belly.
¹⁷ Its tail is as strong as a cedar.
    The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together.
¹⁸ Its bones are tubes of bronze.
    Its limbs are bars of iron.
¹⁹ It is a prime example of God’s handiwork,
    and only its Creator can threaten it.
²⁰ The mountains offer it their best food,
    where all the wild animals play.
²¹ It lies under the lotus plants,^[b]
    hidden by the reeds in the marsh.
²² The lotus plants give it shade
    among the willows beside the stream.
²³ It is not disturbed by the raging river,
    not concerned when the swelling Jordan rushes around it.
²⁴ No one can catch it off guard
    or put a ring in its nose and lead it away.