The Lord Continues: The Mountain Goats

1 "Are you acquainted with the way the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch as the wild deer give birth to their young?

1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

1 “Do you know the time the (a)(A)mountain goats give birth?Do you observe the calving of the (B)deer?

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

1 "Do you know when the mountain goat gives birth? Do you watch the doe as it calves its young?

2 Do you count the months they must fulfill, and do you know the time they give birth?

2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

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

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

2 Can you count the months of their gestation? Do you know the time when they give birth,

3 They crouch, they bear their young, they bring forth the offspring they have carried.

3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.

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

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

3 when they crouch down to give birth to their offspring, and let go of their birth pangs?

4 Their young grow strong, and grow up in the open; they go off, and do not return to them.

4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

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

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

4 Their young are strong; they grow up in the open field; then they go off and don't return to them."

The Wild Donkey

5 Who let the wild donkey go free? Who released the bonds of the donkey,

5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

5 “Who sent out the (C)wild donkey free?And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

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

5 "Who sets the wild donkey free? Who loosens the bonds of the wild donkey

6 to whom I appointed the steppe for its home, the salt wastes as its dwelling place?

6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.

6 To whom I gave (D)the wilderness for a homeAnd the salt land for his dwelling place?

6 I made the wilderness(A) its home,and the salty(B) wasteland its dwelling.

6 to whom I've given the Arabah for a home; the salt plain for his dwelling place?

7 It scorns the tumult in the town; it does not hear the shouts of a driver.

7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

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

7 It scoffs at the noise of the villageand never hears the shouts of a driver.(C)

7 He despises city noises; he ignores the shouts of the driver.

8 It ranges the hills as its pasture, and searches after every green plant.

8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

8 “He explores the mountains for his pastureAnd searches after every green thing.

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

8 He ranges the mountains that are his pasture to search for anything green.

The Wild Ox

9 Is the wild ox willing to be your servant? Will it spend the night at your feeding trough?

9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

9 “Will the (E)wild ox consent to serve you,Or will he spend the night at your manger?

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

9 Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he sleep at night near your feeding trough?

10 Can you bind the wild ox to a furrow with its rope, will it till the valleys, following after you?

10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

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

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

10 Can you bind the ox to plow a furrow with a rope? Will he harrow after you in the valley?

11 Will you rely on it because its strength is great? Will you commit your labor to it?

11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

11 “Will you trust him because his strength is greatAnd leave your labor to him?

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

11 Will you trust him because of his great strength and entrust your labor to him?

12 Can you count on it to bring in your grain, and gather the grain to your threshing floor?

12 Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?

12 “Will you have faith in him that he will return your (c)grainAnd gather it from your threshing floor?

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

12 Will you trust him that he'll bring in your grain, and gather it to your threshing floor?"

The Ostrich

13 "The wings of the ostrich flap with joy, but are they the pinions and plumage of a stork?

13 Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

13 “The ostriches’ wings flap joyouslyWith the pinion and plumage of (d)love,

13 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,but are her feathers and plumage like the stork’s?(d)(E)

13 "The wings of the ostrich flap joyously, but aren't its pinions and feathers like the stork?

14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground, and lets them be warmed on the soil.

14 Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

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

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

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

15 She forgets that a foot might crush them, or that a wild animal might trample them.

15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

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

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

15 but she forgets that a foot might crush them or any wild animal might trample them.

16 She is harsh with her young, as if they were not hers; she is unconcerned about the uselessness of her labor.

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;

16 “She treats her young (F)cruelly, as if they were not hers;Though her labor be in vain, she is (g)unconcerned;

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

16 She mistreats her young as though they're not hers, and she has no fear that her labor may be in vain,

17 For God deprived her of wisdom, and did not impart understanding to her.

17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

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

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

17 because God didn't grant her wisdom and never gave her understanding.

18 But as soon as she springs up, she laughs at the horse and its rider.

18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

18 “When she lifts herself (h)on high,She laughs at the horse and his rider.

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

18 And yet when she gets ready to run, she laughs at the horse and its rider."

The Horse

19 "Do you give the horse its strength? Do you clothe its neck with a mane?

19 Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

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

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

19 Do you instill the horse with strength? Do you clothe its neck with a mane?

20 Do you make it leap like a locust? Its proud neighing is terrifying!

20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.

20 “Do you make him (G)leap like the locust?His majestic (H)snorting is terrible.

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

20 Can you make him leap like the locust, and make the splendor of his snorting terrifying?

21 It paws the ground in the valley, exulting mightily, it goes out to meet the weapons.

21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.

21 (i)He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;He (I)goes out to meet the weapons.

21 He paws(g) in the valley and rejoices in his strength;He charges into battle.(h)

21 He paws the ground in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he goes out to face weapons.

22 It laughs at fear and is not dismayed; it does not shy away from the sword.

22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

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

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

22 He scoffs at fear and is never scared; he never retreats from a sword.

23 On it the quiver rattles; the lance and javelin flash.

23 The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

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

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

23 A quiver of arrows rattles against his side, along with a flashing spear and a lance.

24 In excitement and impatience it consumes the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet is blown.

24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

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

24 He charges ahead(j) with trembling rage;he cannot stand still at the trumpet’s sound.

24 Leaping in his excitement, he takes in the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpets sound!

25 At the sound of the trumpet, it says, 'Aha!' And from a distance it catches the scent of battle, the thunderous shouting of commanders, and the battle cries.

25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

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.

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

25 When the trumpet blasts he'll neigh, "Aha! Aha!' From a distance he can sense war, the war cry of generals, and their shouting."

The Birds Of Prey

26 "Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, and spreads its wings toward the south?

26 Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?

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

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

26 "Is it by your understanding that the hawk flies, spreading its wings toward the south?

27 Is it at your command that the eagle soars, and builds its nest on high?

27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

27 “Is it at your (k)command that the eagle mounts upAnd makes (J)his nest on high?

27 Does the eagle soar at your commandand make its nest(G) on high?

27 Does the eagle soar high at your command and build its nest on the highest crags?

28 It lives on a rock and spends the night there, on a rocky crag and a fortress.

28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.

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

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

28 He dwells on the crags where he makes his home, there on the rocky crag is his stronghold.

29 From there it spots its prey, its eyes gaze intently from a distance.

29 From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

29 “From there he (K)spies out food;His eyes see it from afar.

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

29 From there he searches for prey, and his eyes recognize it from a distance.

30 And its young ones devour the blood, and where the dead carcasses are, there it is."

30 Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.

30 “His young ones also suck up blood;And (L)where the slain are, there is he.”

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

30 His young ones feast on blood; he'll be found wherever there's a carcass."

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