New King James Version

English Standard Version

1“Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?

1“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does?

2Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young?

2Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth,

3They bow down, They bring forth their young, They deliver their offspring.

3when they crouch, bring forth their offspring, and are delivered of their young?

4Their young ones are healthy, They grow strong with grain; They depart and do not return to them.

4Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open; they go out and do not return to them.

5“Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the onager,

5“Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

6Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the barren land his dwelling?

6to whom I have given the arid plain for his home and the salt land for his dwelling place?

7He scorns the tumult of the city; He does not heed the shouts of the driver.

7He scorns the tumult of the city; he hears not the shouts of the driver.

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

8He ranges the mountains as his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.

9“Will the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he bed by your manger?

9“Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger?

10Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Or will he plow the valleys behind you?

10Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you?

11Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him?

11Will you depend on him because his strength is great, and will you leave to him your labor?

12Will you trust him to bring home your grain, And gather it to your threshing floor?

12Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?

13“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?

13“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love?

14For she leaves her eggs on the ground, And warms them in the dust;

14For she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed on the ground,

15She forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may break them.

15forgetting that a foot may crush them and that the wild beast may trample them.

16She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; Her labor is in vain, without concern,

16She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,

17Because God deprived her of wisdom, And did not endow her with understanding.

17because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding.

18When she lifts herself on high, She scorns the horse and its rider.

18When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider.

19“Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder?

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

20Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror.

20Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying.

21He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the clash of arms.

21He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons.

22He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword.

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

23The quiver rattles against him, The glittering spear and javelin.

23Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin.

24He devours the distance with fierceness and rage; Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.

24With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet.

25At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, The thunder of captains and shouting.

25When the trumpet sounds, 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 spread its wings toward the south?

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

27Does the eagle mount up at your command, And make its nest on high?

27Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?

28On the rock it dwells and resides, On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.

28On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold.

29From there it spies out the prey; Its eyes observe from afar.

29From there he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it from far away.

30Its young ones suck up blood; And where the slain are, there it is.”

30His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he.”

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.