God Speaks of His Creation

1Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? dost thou mark the calving of the hinds?

2Dost thou number the months that they fulfil? and knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

3They bow themselves, they give birth to their young ones, they cast out their pains;

4Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go forth, and return not unto them.

5Who hath sent out the wild ass free? and who hath loosed the bands of the onager,

6Whose house I made the wilderness, and the salt plain his dwellings?

7He laugheth at the tumult of the city, and heareth not the shouts of the driver;

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

9Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?

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

11Wilt thou put confidence in him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

12Wilt thou trust him to bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy threshing-floor?

13The wing of the ostrich beats joyously -- But is it the stork's pinion and plumage?

14For she leaveth her eggs to the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,

15And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may trample them.

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

17For +God hath deprived her of wisdom, and hath not furnished her with understanding.

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

19Hast thou given strength to the horse? hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?

20Dost thou make him to leap as a locust? His majestic snorting is terrible.

21He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in [his] strength; he goeth forth to meet the armed host.

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

23The quiver rattleth upon him, the glittering spear and the javelin.

24He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, and cannot contain himself at the sound of the trumpet:

25At the noise of the trumpets he saith, Aha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26Doth the hawk fly by thine intelligence, [and] stretch his wings toward the south?

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

28He inhabiteth the rock and maketh his dwelling on the point of the cliff, and the fastness:

29From thence he spieth out the prey, his eyes look into the distance;

30And his young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is he.