New International Version NIV
American Standard Version ASV
1 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
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Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? [Or] canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2 Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?
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Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended.
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They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their pains.
4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.
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Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; They go forth, and return not again.
5 “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its ropes?
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Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
6 I gave it the wasteland as its home, the salt flats as its habitat.
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Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the salt land his dwelling-place?
7 It laughs at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver’s shout.
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He scorneth the tumult of the city, Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.
8 It ranges the hills for its pasture and searches for any green thing.
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The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searcheth after every green thing.
9 “Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will it stay by your manger at night?
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Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness? Will it till the valleys behind you?
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Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to it?
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Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?
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Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gather [the grain] of thy threshing-floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork.
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The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; [But] are they the pinions and plumage of love?
14 She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand,
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For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, And warmeth them in the dust,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.
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And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain,
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She dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers: Though her labor be in vain, [she is] without fear;
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.
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Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.
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What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
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Hast thou given the horse [his] might? Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting?
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Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible.
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray.
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He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: He goeth out to meet the armed men.
22 It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword.
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He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; Neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance.
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The quiver rattleth against him, The flashing spear and the javelin.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
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He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.
25 At the blast of the trumpet it snorts, ‘Aha!’ It catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.
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As oft as the trumpet [soundeth] he saith, Aha! And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south?
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Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth, (And) stretcheth her wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?
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Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up, And maketh her nest on high?
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold.
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On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home, Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar.
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From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off.
30 Its young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there it is.”
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Her young ones also suck up blood: And where the slain are, there is she.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.