God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings
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2
“Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
3 Or do you know the time they give birth?
“They kneel down, they bring forth their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.
4 They get rid of their labor pains.
“Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.
They leave and do not return to them.
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“He scorns the tumult of the city,
The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.
8 The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.
“He explores the mountains for his pasture
And searches after every green thing.
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11 And searches after every green thing.
“Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?
12 And leave your labor to him?
“Will you have faith in him that he will return your (c)grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
And gather it from your threshing floor?
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For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
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17 And warms them in the dust,
Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
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And has not given her a share of understanding.
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“Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
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22 Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 And he does not turn back from the sword.
“The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 The flashing spear and javelin.
“With shaking and rage he (j)races over the ground,
And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.
25 And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.
“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.
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
Footnotes:
a.
Job 39:1: ['Lit ', goats of the rock]
b.
Job 39:10: ['Lit ', his rope]
c.
Job 39:12: ['Lit ', seed]
d.
Job 39:13: ['Or ', a stork]
e.
Job 39:15: ['Lit ', it]
f.
Job 39:15: ['Lit ', it]
g.
Job 39:16: ['Lit ', without fear]
h.
Job 39:18: ['Or ', to flee]
i.
Job 39:21: ['Lit ', They paw]
j.
Job 39:24: ['Or ', swallows up]
k.
Job 39:27: ['Lit ', mouth]
Cross references:
B.
Job 39:1:
Psalm 29:9