Bible in Basic English
He goes looking for his grass-lands in the mountains, searching out every green thing.
Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?
Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?
Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?
Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?
Is the wing of the ostrich feeble, or is it because she has no feathers,
That she puts her eggs on the earth, warming them in the dust,
Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field?
She is cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers; her work is to no purpose; she has no fear.
For God has taken wisdom from her mind, and given her no measure of knowledge.
When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him.
Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?
Is it through you that he is shaking like a locust, in the pride of his loud-sounding breath?
He is stamping with joy in the valley; he makes sport of fear.
In his strength he goes out against the arms of war, turning not away from the sword.
The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.
Shaking with passion, he is biting the earth; he is not able to keep quiet at the sound of the horn;
When it comes to his ears he says, Aha! He is smelling the fight from far off, and hearing the thunder of the captains, and the war-cries.
Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south?
Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high?
On the rock is his house, and on the mountain-top his strong place.
From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off.
His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.
— Job 39:8-1964, Bible in Basic English
“The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing. Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn? Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich? Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust, And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear; Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding. What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider. Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she. ”
“The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searcheth after every green thing. Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor? Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gatherthe grainof thy threshing-floor? The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; But are they the pinions and plumage of love? For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, And warmeth them in the dust, And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them. She dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers: Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear; Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding. What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider. Hast thou given the horsehismight? Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: He goeth out to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; Neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, The flashing spear and the javelin. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet. As oft as the trumpetsoundethhe saith, Aha! And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting. Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth, And stretcheth her wings toward the south? Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up, And maketh her nest on high? On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home, Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold. From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood: And where the slain are, there is she. ”
Who has let the ass of the fields go free? or made loose the bands of the loud-voiced beast?
To whom I have given the waste land for a heritage, and the salt land as a living-place.
He makes sport of the noise of the town; the voice of the driver does not come to his ears;
He goes looking for his grass-lands in the mountains, searching out every green thing.
Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?
Will he be pulling your plough with cords, turning up the valleys after you?
Will you put your faith in him, because his strength is great? will you give the fruit of your work into his care?
Will you be looking for him to come back, and get in your seed to the crushing-floor?
Is the wing of the ostrich feeble, or is it because she has no feathers,
That she puts her eggs on the earth, warming them in the dust,
Without a thought that they may be crushed by the foot, and broken by the beasts of the field?
She is cruel to her young ones, as if they were not hers; her work is to no purpose; she has no fear.
For God has taken wisdom from her mind, and given her no measure of knowledge.
When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him.
Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?
Is it through you that he is shaking like a locust, in the pride of his loud-sounding breath?
He is stamping with joy in the valley; he makes sport of fear.
In his strength he goes out against the arms of war, turning not away from the sword.
The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.
Shaking with passion, he is biting the earth; he is not able to keep quiet at the sound of the horn;
When it comes to his ears he says, Aha! He is smelling the fight from far off, and hearing the thunder of the captains, and the war-cries.
Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south?
Or is it by your orders that the eagle goes up, and makes his resting-place on high?
On the rock is his house, and on the mountain-top his strong place.
From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off.
His young have blood for their drink, and where the dead bodies are, there is he to be seen.