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Job 39-40
New American Standard Bible
Job 39-40
New American Standard Bible
God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings
39 “Do you know the time the [a](A)mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the (B)deer?
2 Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
3 They kneel down, they deliver their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.
4 Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.
5 “Who sent the (C)wild donkey out free?
And who opened the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 To whom I gave (D)the wilderness as his home,
And the salt land as his dwelling place?
7 He laughs at the turmoil of the city,
He does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.
8 He explores the mountains of his pasture,
And searches after every green thing.
9 Will the (E)wild bull be willing to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your feeding trough?
10 Can you tie down the wild bull in a furrow with [b]ropes,
Or will he [c]plow the valleys after you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great,
And leave your labor to him?
12 Will you have faith in him that he will return your [d]grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyously,
With the pinion and feathers of [e]love,
14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [f]them,
Or that a wild animal may trample [g]them.
16 She treats her young (F)cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor is for nothing, she is [h]unconcerned,
17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 When she rushes away on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.
19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him (G)leap like locusts?
His majestic (H)snorting is frightening.
21 [i]He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He (I)goes out to meet the battle.
22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 He [j]races over the ground with a roar and fury,
And he does not stand still when he hears the sound of the trumpet.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he senses the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your [k]command that the eagle flies high,
And makes (J)his nest on high?
28 He dwells and spends his nights on the cliff,
On the rocky cliff, an inaccessible place.
29 From there he (K)tracks food;
His eyes look at it from afar.
30 His young ones also lick up blood greedily;
And (L)where the slain are, there he is.”
Job Says What Can I Say?
40 Then the Lord said to Job,
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said,
4 “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I say in response to You?
I (O)put my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and (P)I will not reply;
Or twice, and I will add nothing more.”
God Questions Job
6 Then the (Q)Lord answered Job from the whirlwind and said,
7 “Now [m](R)tighten the belt on your waist like a man;
I will (S)ask you, and you instruct Me.
8 Will you really (T)nullify My judgment?
Will you (U)condemn Me (V)so that you may be justified?
9 Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you (W)thunder with a voice like His?
10 “(X)Adorn yourself with pride and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
11 Let out your (Y)outbursts of anger,
And look at everyone who is (Z)arrogant, and humble him.
12 Look at everyone who is arrogant, and (AA)humble him,
And (AB)trample down the wicked [n]where they stand.
13 (AC)Hide them together in the dust;
Imprison [o]them in the hidden place.
14 Then I will also [p]confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.
God’s Power Shown in Creatures
15 “Behold, [q]Behemoth, which (AD)I made [r]as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his waist,
And his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He hangs his tail like a cedar;
The tendons of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze;
His [s]limbs are like bars of iron.
19 “He is the (AE)first of the ways of God;
Let his (AF)Maker bring His sword near.
20 Indeed the [t]mountains (AG)bring him food,
And all the animals of the field (AH)play there.
21 He lies down under the lotus plants,
In the hiding place of the reeds and the marsh.
22 The lotus plants cover him with [u]shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
23 If a river [v]rages, he is not alarmed;
He is confident, though the (AI)Jordan rushes to his mouth.
24 Can anyone capture him [w]when he is on watch,
Can anyone pierce his nose with barbs?
Footnotes
- Job 39:1 Lit goats of the rock
- Job 39:10 Lit his rope
- Job 39:10 I.e., pull a harrow, a farming device
- Job 39:12 Lit seed
- Job 39:13 Or a stork
- Job 39:15 Lit it
- Job 39:15 Lit it
- Job 39:16 Lit without fear
- Job 39:21 Lit They paw
- Job 39:24 Lit swallows up
- Job 39:27 Lit mouth
- Job 40:2 Lit answer it
- Job 40:7 I.e., as if for battle
- Job 40:12 Lit under them
- Job 40:13 Lit their faces
- Job 40:14 Or praise you
- Job 40:15 I.e., a powerful animal, possibly a hippopotamus
- Job 40:15 Lit with you
- Job 40:18 Lit bones
- Job 40:20 I.e., the mountain streams
- Job 40:22 Lit his shade
- Job 40:23 Or oppresses
- Job 40:24 Lit in his eyes
Job 39-40
New International Version
Job 39-40
New International Version
39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(A) give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(B)
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
Do you know the time they give birth?(C)
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;
their labor pains are ended.
4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
they leave and do not return.
5 “Who let the wild donkey(D) go free?
Who untied its ropes?
6 I gave it the wasteland(E) as its home,
the salt flats(F) as its habitat.(G)
7 It laughs(H) at the commotion in the town;
it does not hear a driver’s shout.(I)
8 It ranges the hills(J) for its pasture
and searches for any green thing.
9 “Will the wild ox(K) consent to serve you?(L)
Will it stay by your manger(M) at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?(N)
Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?(O)
Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain
and bring it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
though they cannot compare
with the wings and feathers of the stork.(P)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
that some wild animal may trample them.(Q)
16 She treats her young harshly,(R) as if they were not hers;
she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
or give her a share of good sense.(S)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
she laughs(T) at horse and rider.
19 “Do you give the horse its strength(U)
or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(V)
striking terror(W) with its proud snorting?(X)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(Y)
and charges into the fray.(Z)
22 It laughs(AA) at fear, afraid of nothing;
it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(AB) rattles against its side,
along with the flashing spear(AC) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(AD)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(AE) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
It catches the scent of battle from afar,
the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(AF)
26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
and spread its wings toward the south?(AG)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
and build its nest on high?(AH)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
a rocky crag(AI) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(AJ)
its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
and where the slain are, there it is.”(AK)
40 The Lord said to Job:(AL)
2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty(AM) correct him?(AN)
Let him who accuses God answer him!”(AO)
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am unworthy(AP)—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.(AQ)
5 I spoke once, but I have no answer(AR)—
twice, but I will say no more.”(AS)
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(AT)
7 “Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.(AU)
8 “Would you discredit my justice?(AV)
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(AW)
9 Do you have an arm like God’s,(AX)
and can your voice(AY) thunder like his?(AZ)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(BA)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(BB)
look at all who are proud and bring them low,(BC)
12 look at all who are proud(BD) and humble them,(BE)
crush(BF) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(BG)
shroud their faces in the grave.(BH)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.(BI)
15 “Look at Behemoth,
which I made(BJ) along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.(BK)
16 What strength(BL) it has in its loins,
what power in the muscles of its belly!(BM)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(BN)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs(BO) like rods of iron.(BP)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(BQ)
yet its Maker(BR) can approach it with his sword.(BS)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(BT)
and all the wild animals play(BU) nearby.(BV)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
hidden among the reeds(BW) in the marsh.(BX)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream(BY) surround it.
23 A raging river(BZ) does not alarm it;
it is secure, though the Jordan(CA) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
or trap it and pierce its nose?(CB)
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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