Job 39:16–21

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.

19 “Do you give the horse its strength

or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?

20 Do you make it leap like a locust,

striking terror with its proud snorting?

21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,

and charges into the fray.

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.

19 Hast thou given the horse strength?

Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?

The glory of his nostrils is terrible.

21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength:

He goeth on to meet the armed men.

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.

19 “Have you given the horse its strength

or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?

20 Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?

Its majestic snorting is terrifying!

21 It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength

when it charges out to battle.

16 She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;

Her labor is in vain, without concern,

17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,

And did not endow her with understanding.

18 When she lifts herself on high,

She scorns the horse and its rider.

19 “Have you given the horse strength?

Have you clothed his neck with thunder?

20 Can you frighten him like a locust?

His majestic snorting strikes terror.

21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;

He gallops into the clash of arms.

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.

19 “Job, are you the one who gives the horse its strength

or puts a flowing mane on its neck?

20 Do you make the horse jump like a locust?

It scares people with its proud snorting.

21 It paws wildly, enjoying its strength,

and charges into battle.

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.

19 Hast thou given the horse his might?

Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?

20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust?

The glory of his snorting is terrible.

21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength:

He goeth out to meet the armed men.

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.

19 Hast thou given strength to the horse? hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? 20 Dost thou make him to leap as a locust? His majestic snorting is terrible. 21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth forth to meet the armed host.

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. 

19 “Can you give strength to a horse 

or dress its neck with a flowing mane? 

20 Can you make it leap like a locust, 

when its snorting causes terror? 

21 It paws in strength and finds joy in its power. 

It charges into battle. 

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.

19 Do you give strength to the horse?

Do you adorn his neck with a mane?

20 Do you make him leap like a locust?

His proud snorting fills one with terror.

21 He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength;

He charges into battle.

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.

19 “Do you give the horse its might?

Do you clothe its neck with mane?

20 Do you make it leap like the locust?

Its majestic snorting is terrible.

21 It paws violently, exults mightily;

it goes out to meet the weapons.

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.

19 “Do you give power to the horse?

Do you clothe its neck with a mane?

20 Do you make it leap like the locust?

The majesty of its snorting is terrifying.

21 They paw in the valley, and it exults with strength;

it goes out to meet the battle.

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.

19 “Job, do you give horses their strength?

Do you put flowing manes on their necks?

20 Do you make them jump like locusts?

They terrify others with their proud snorting.

21 They paw the ground wildly.

They are filled with joy.

They charge at their enemies.

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.

19 “Do you give the horse his might?

Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

20 “Do you make him leap like the locust?

His majestic snorting is terrible.

21 “He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;

He goes out to meet the weapons.