16 She treats her young harshly, 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.

18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,

she laughs at horse and rider.

16 She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;

though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,

17 because God has made her forget wisdom

and given her no share in understanding.

18 When she rouses herself to flee,

she laughs at the horse and his rider.

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers:

Her labour is in vain without fear;

17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom,

Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

18 What time she lifteth up herself on high,

She scorneth the horse and his rider.

16 She is harsh toward her young,

as if they were not her own.

She doesn’t care if they die.

17 For God has deprived her of wisdom.

He has given her no understanding.

18 But whenever she jumps up to run,

she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.

16 The ostrich is cruel to its young, as if they were not even its own.

It does not care that its work is for nothing,

17 because God did not give the ostrich wisdom;

God did not give it a share of good sense.

18 But when the ostrich gets up to run, it is so fast

that it laughs at the horse and its rider.

16 She dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers:

Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear;

17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom,

Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

18 What time she lifteth up herself on high,

She scorneth the horse and his rider.

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labour is in vain, without her concern. 17 For †God hath deprived her of wisdom, and hath not furnished her with understanding. 18 What time she lasheth herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

16 It acts harshly toward its young as if they weren’t its own. 

It is not afraid that its work is for nothing 

17 because God has deprived it of wisdom 

and did not give it any understanding. 

18 It laughs at the horse and its rider when it gets up to flee. 

16 She treats her young harshly, as if they were not her own,

with no fear that her labor may have been in vain.

17 For God has deprived her of wisdom;

He has not endowed her with understanding.

18 When she proudly spreads her wings,

she laughs at the horse and its rider.

16 It deals cruelly with its young, as if they were not its own;

though its labor should be in vain, yet it has no fear;

17 because God has made it forget wisdom

and given it no share in understanding.

18 When it spreads its plumes aloft,

it laughs at the horse and its rider.

16 It deals cruelly with its young ones, as if they were not its own,

as if without fear that its labor were in vain,

17 because God made it forget wisdom,

and he did not give it a share in understanding.

18 When it spreads its wings aloft,

it laughs at the horse and its rider.

16 Ostriches are mean to their little ones.

They treat them as if they did not belong to them.

They do not care that their work was useless.

17 I did not provide ostriches with wisdom.

I did not give them good sense.

18 But when they spread their feathers to run,

they laugh at a horse and its rider.

16 “She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;

Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned;

17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,

And has not given her a share of understanding.

18 “When she lifts herself on high,

She laughs at the horse and his rider.