39
📚“Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats give birth, or do you watch when the deer is in labour? 39:1 This whole chapter is taken up with the theme God began in the closing verses of the preceding chapter. God is keeping a close watch on everything on earth. He treats the whole animal world with wisdom and skill. Will He do less for men, for Job? Also we can see in this chapter the mighty Creator of the universe recounting with joy some of the works of His hands. He seems to be exulting in His creation (see also Gen 1:31; Prov 8:22-31; Ps 104:31).⚜
2 📚Can you number the months they fulfil? Or do you know the time when they give birth?
3 They crouch down, they give birth to their young ones, they rid themselves of their labour pains.
4 Their young ones flourish, they grow up in the field; then they go away and do not return to them.
5 📚“Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has untied the bonds of the wild donkey?
6 📚To him I have made the wilderness a home, and barren land a dwelling place.
7 📚He scorns the crowded city; he does not hear the shouts of a driver.
8 📚The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches for any green thing.
9 📚“Will the wild ox be willing to serve you, or spend the night by your manger?
10 📚Can you harness the wild ox to the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys behind you?
11 📚Will you trust him because his strength is great, or will you leave your labour to him?
12 📚Will you trust him to bring home your grain, and gather it to your threshing floor?
13 📚“Did you give the noisy wings to the peacock, or wings and plumage to the ostrich?
14 She leaves her eggs on the ground and lets the sand warm them,
15 And forgets that a foot may crush them, or that a wild beast may break them.
16 📚She treats her young ones harshly, as though they were not hers; her labour is in vain, without fear,
17 📚Because God has deprived her of wisdom, and has not imparted understanding to her.
18 📚When she raises herself to full height to run, she scorns the horse and its rider.
19 📚“Have you given strength to the horse? Have you clothed its neck with thunder?
20 📚Can you frighten him like a grasshopper? His majestic snorting produces terror.
21 📚He paws the valley and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet man’s weapons.
22 📚He mocks at fear and is not frightened; nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 📚The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
24 📚He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage; nor does he come to a halt at the sound of the trumpet.
25 📚At the blast of the trumpets, he says ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains and the shouting.
26 📚“Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
27 📚At your command does the eagle soar up and make her nest on high?
28 📚She makes her dwelling on a rock and spends the nights there on the rocky crag, in her stronghold.
29 📚From there she seeks for prey; her eyes see it from a long distance.
30 📚Her young ones also suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is she”.