39 「你知道野山羊何時生產嗎?
你看過母鹿產仔嗎?
你能算出牠們懷胎的月數嗎?
你知道牠們分娩的日期嗎?
牠們幾時屈身產仔,
結束分娩之痛?
幼仔健壯,在荒野長大,
離群而去,不再回來。

「誰讓野驢逍遙自在?
誰解開了牠的韁繩?
我使牠以曠野為家,
以鹽地作居所。
牠嗤笑城邑的喧鬧,
不聽趕牲口的吆喝。
牠以群山作草場,
尋找青翠之物。

「野牛豈肯為你效勞,
在你的槽旁過夜?
10 你豈能用韁繩把野牛牽到犁溝?
牠豈肯跟著你在山谷耕地?
11 你豈能倚靠牠的大力,
把你的重活交給牠?
12 豈能靠牠運回糧食,
替你堆聚到麥場?

13 「鴕鳥歡然拍動翅膀,
牠豈有白鸛的翎羽?
14 牠將蛋產在地上,
使蛋得到沙土的溫暖,
15 卻不知蛋會被踩碎,
或遭野獸踐踏。
16 牠苛待雛鳥,好像牠們並非己出,
就算徒勞一場,牠也不怕。
17 因為上帝未賜牠智慧,
沒有給牠悟性。
18 然而,一旦牠展翅奔跑,
必嗤笑馬兒和騎士。

19 「馬的力量豈是你賜的?
牠頸上的鬃毛豈是你披的?
20 豈是你使牠跳躍如蝗蟲,
發出令人膽寒的長嘶?
21 牠在谷中刨地,
炫耀力量,奮力衝向敵軍。
22 牠嘲笑恐懼,毫不害怕,
不因刀劍而退縮。
23 牠背上的箭袋錚錚作響,
長矛和投槍閃閃發光。
24 角聲一響,牠便無法靜立,
狂烈地顫抖,急於馳騁大地。
25 聽到角聲,牠就發出長嘶,
牠老遠便嗅到戰爭的氣味,
並聽見吶喊和將領的號令。

26 「鷹隼展翅翱翔,飛往南方,
豈是靠你的智慧?
27 禿鷹騰飛,在高處搭窩,
豈是奉你的命令?
28 牠居住在懸崖上,
盤踞在山岩峭壁,
29 牠從那裡搜尋獵物,
牠的目光直達遠方。
30 牠的幼雛噬血,
哪裡有屍體,牠就在哪裡。」

39 “Do you know the time the [a](A)mountain goats give birth?
Do you keep watch over the calving of the (B)deer?
Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
They kneel down; they bring forth their young;
They send out their labor pains.
Their children become strong; they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.

“Who sent out the (C)wild donkey free?
And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
For whom I have set (D)the desert plain as a home
And the salt land as his dwelling place?
He laughs at the tumult of the city;
The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.
He explores the mountains for his pasture
And searches after every green thing.
Will the (E)wild ox consent to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with [b]ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you?
11 Will you trust him because his power is great
And leave your labor to him?
12 Will you believe him that he will return your seed of grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

13 “The ostriches’ wings flap joyously
But are they the pinion and plumage of a [c]stork?
14 For she leaves her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [d]them,
Or that a beast of the field may trample [e]them.
16 She treats her children (F)cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor be empty, she is without dread,
17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 When she raises herself up high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him (G)leap like the locust?
His splendid (H)snorting is terrible.
21 [f]He paws in the valley and rejoices in his power;
He (I)goes out to meet the weapons.
22 He laughs at dread and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 With shaking and rage he [g]races over the ground,
And he does not [h]stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the commanders and the shout of war.

26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your [i]command that the eagle goes on high
And raises (J)his nest high?
28 On the cliff he dwells and lodges,
Upon the rocky crag, a fortress.
29 From there he [j](K)spies out food;
His eyes see it from afar.
30 His young ones also suck up blood;
And (L)where the slain are, there is he.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 39:1 Lit goats of the rock
  2. Job 39:10 Lit his rope
  3. Job 39:13 Or love
  4. Job 39:15 Lit it
  5. Job 39:15 Lit it
  6. Job 39:21 Lit They paw
  7. Job 39:24 Or swallows up
  8. Job 39:24 Lit believe
  9. Job 39:27 Lit mouth
  10. Job 39:29 Or paws, cf. Job 39:21; lit digs