The Bible
הֲיָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֭ת לֶ֣דֶת יַעֲלֵי־סָ֑לַע חֹלֵ֖ל אַיָּל֣וֹת תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃
“Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?
Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
תִּסְפֹּ֣ר יְרָחִ֣ים תְּמַלֶּ֑אנָה וְ֝יָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֣ת לִדְתָּֽנָה׃
Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth?
Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה׃
They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
יַחְלְמ֣וּ בְ֭נֵיהֶם יִרְבּ֣וּ בַבָּ֑ר יָ֝צְא֗וּ וְלֹא־שָׁ֥בוּ לָֽמוֹ׃
Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.
Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
מִֽי־שִׁלַּ֣ח פֶּ֣רֶא חָפְשִׁ֑י וּמֹסְר֥וֹת עָ֝ר֗וֹד מִ֣י פִתֵּֽחַ׃
Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי עֲרָבָ֣ה בֵית֑וֹ וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו מְלֵֽחָה׃
I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling.
Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
יִ֭שְׂחַק לַהֲמ֣וֹן קִרְיָ֑ה תְּשֻׁא֥וֹת נ֝וֹגֵ֗שׂ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמָֽע׃
He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver.
He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
יְת֣וּר הָרִ֣ים מִרְעֵ֑הוּ וְאַחַ֖ר כָּל־יָר֣וֹק יִדְרֽוֹשׁ׃
He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.
The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
הֲיֹ֣אבֶה רֵּ֣ים עָבְדֶ֑ךָ אִם־יָ֝לִ֗ין עַל־אֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃
Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
הֲֽתִקְשָׁר־רֵ֭ים בְּתֶ֣לֶם עֲבֹת֑וֹ אִם־יְשַׂדֵּ֖ד עֲמָקִ֣ים אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃
Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
הֲֽתִבְטַח־בּ֭וֹ כִּי־רַ֣ב כֹּח֑וֹ וְתַעֲזֹ֖ב אֵלָ֣יו יְגִיעֶֽךָ׃
Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?
Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין בּ֭וֹ כִּי־(ישוב) [יָשִׁ֣יב] זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְֽגָרְנְךָ֥ יֶאֱסֹֽף׃
Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
כְּנַף־רְנָנִ֥ים נֶעֱלָ֑סָה אִם־אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה חֲסִידָ֥ה וְנֹצָֽה׃
The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.
Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
כִּֽי־תַעֲזֹ֣ב לָאָ֣רֶץ בֵּצֶ֑יהָ וְֽעַל־עָפָ֥ר תְּחַמֵּֽם׃
For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand.
Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח כִּי־רֶ֣גֶל תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ וְחַיַּ֖ת הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה תְּדוּשֶֽׁהָ׃
She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them.
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ בָּנֶ֣יהָ לְּלֹא־לָ֑הּ לְרִ֖יק יְגִיעָ֣הּ בְּלִי־פָֽחַד׃
She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain.
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
כִּֽי־הִשָּׁ֣הּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ חָכְמָ֑ה וְלֹא־חָ֥לַק לָ֝֗הּ בַּבִּינָֽה׃
For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.
Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
כָּ֭עֵת בַּמָּר֣וֹם תַּמְרִ֑יא תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק לַ֝סּ֗וּס וּלְרֹֽכְבֽוֹ׃
Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.
What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
הֲתִתֵּ֣ן לַסּ֣וּס גְּבוּרָ֑ה הֲתַלְבִּ֖ישׁ צַוָּאר֣וֹ רַעְמָֽה׃
Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?
Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
הְֽ֭תַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ כָּאַרְבֶּ֑ה ה֖וֹד נַחְר֣וֹ אֵימָֽה׃
Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
יַחְפְּר֣וּ בָ֭עֵמֶק וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ בְּכֹ֑חַ יֵ֝צֵ֗א לִקְרַאת־נָֽשֶׁק׃
He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
יִשְׂחַ֣ק לְ֭פַחַד וְלֹ֣א יֵחָ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־חָֽרֶב׃
He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword.
He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
עָ֭לָיו תִּרְנֶ֣ה אַשְׁפָּ֑ה לַ֖הַב חֲנִ֣ית וְכִידֽוֹן׃
A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance.
The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
בְּרַ֣עַשׁ וְ֭רֹגֶז יְגַמֶּא־אָ֑רֶץ וְלֹֽא־יַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּי־ק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃
Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
בְּדֵ֤י שֹׁפָ֨ר ׀ יֹ֘אמַ֤ר הֶאָ֗ח וּֽ֭מֵרָחוֹק יָרִ֣יחַ מִלְחָמָ֑ה רַ֥עַם שָׂ֝רִים וּתְרוּעָֽה׃
At the blast of the horn, he snorts with fervor. He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shouts of captains and the cry of war.
He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ יַֽאֲבֶר־נֵ֑ץ יִפְרֹ֖שׂ (כנפו) [כְּנָפָ֣יו] לְתֵימָֽן׃
Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ נָ֑שֶׁר וְ֝כִ֗י יָרִ֥ים קִנּֽוֹ׃
Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high?
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
סֶ֣לַע יִ֭שְׁכֹּן וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן עַֽל־שֶׁן־סֶ֝֗לַע וּמְצוּדָֽה׃
He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag.
She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
מִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק עֵינָ֥יו יַבִּֽיטוּ׃
From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.
From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
(ואפרחו) [וְאֶפְרֹחָ֥יו] יְעַלְעוּ־דָ֑ם וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חֲ֝לָלִ֗ים שָׁ֣ם הֽוּא׃
His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.”
Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.