Job 39
Wycliffe's Bible
1Whether thou knowest the time of birth of wild goats in (the) stones, either hast thou espied hinds bringing forth calves? (Knowest thou the time of birth for the wild mountain goats, or hast thou seen the deer bringing forth their calves?)

2Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, and hast thou known the time of their calving?

3They be bowed down to [the] calf, and so calve; and they send out then roarings (and then they send out their roarings).

4Their calves be separated from them, and go forth to pasture; they go out, and they turn not again to their mothers.

5Who hath let go the wild ass free, and who hath loosed the bonds of him? (Who hath let the wild donkey go free, and who hath loosened his bonds?)

6To whom I have given an house in (the) wilderness, and the tabernacles of him in the land of saltness. (To whom I have given a home in the desert, and his dwelling places in the salty land.)

7He despiseth the multitude of the city; he heareth not the cry of the asker.

8He looketh about the hills of his pasture, and he seeketh (after) all green things.

9Whether an unicorn shall desire to serve thee, either shall dwell at thy cratch? (Shall a wild ox desire to serve thee, or shall he stay in thy stall?)

10Whether thou shalt bind the unicorn with thy chain, for to ear thy land, either shall he break the clots of the valleys after thee? (Shalt thou bind the wild ox with thy chain, to plow thy land, or shall he break up the clods of the valleys after thee?)

11Whether thou shalt have trust in his great strength, and shalt thou leave to him thy travails? (Shalt thou have trust in his great strength, and shalt thou leave thy work for him to do?)

12Whether thou shalt believe to him (Shalt thou believe him), that he shall yield seed to thee, and shall gather (it) together (for) thy cornfloor?

13The feather of an ostrich is like the feathers of a gyrfalcon, and of an hawk;

14the which ostrich forsaketh his eggs in the earth, in hap thou shalt make those hot in the dust. (who forsaketh his eggs in the earth, and warmeth them under the sand.)

15He forgetteth, that a foot treadeth those eggs, either that a beast of the field all-breaketh them.

16He is made hard to his young, as if they were not his; he travailed in vain, while no dread constrained him. (He is hardened against his young, as if they were not his; he laboured in vain, while no fear constrained him.)

17For God hath deprived him from wisdom, and he hath not given understanding to him. (For God hath deprived him of wisdom, and he hath not given him understanding.)

18When time is, he raiseth the wings on high (And then the time cometh that he raise up his wings on high); he scorneth the horse, and his rider.

19Whether thou shalt give strength to an horse, either shalt give neighing about his neck? (Hast thou given strength to a horse, and hast thou clothed his neck with a mane?)

20Whether thou shalt raise him as locusts? The glory of his nostrils is dreaded. (Hast thou made that horse as frightening as a horde of locusts? The glory of his nostrils is fearful indeed!)

21He diggeth [the] earth with his foot, he full out joyeth; and he goeth boldly against [the] armed men.

22He despiseth fearedfulness, and he giveth not stead to [the] sword.

23An arrow case shall sound upon him; a spear and a shield shall shine.

24He is hot, or fervent, and gnasheth, and swalloweth the earth; and he areckoneth not that the cry of the trump soundeth (and he cannot be held when the cry of the trumpet soundeth).

25When he heareth a clarion, he saith, Joy! he smelleth (the) battle afar (off); the exciting of dukes, and the yelling of the host (the orders of the leaders, and the yelling of the army).

26Whether an hawk spreading abroad his wings to the south, beginneth to have feathers by thy wisdom? (Be it by thy wisdom that a hawk haveth feathers, and spreadeth his wings towards the south?)

27Whether an eagle shall be raised up at thy commandment, and shall set his nest in high places?

28He dwelleth in stones, and he abideth in flints broken before, and in rocks, to which men may not nigh. (He liveth on the stones, yea, on broken stones and rocks, to which men cannot come near.)

29From thence he beholdeth (his) meat (From there he seeth his prey), and his eyes look from [a]far.

30His young suck blood, and wherever a carrion is, anon he is present. (His young suck up the blood, and wherever there is a carcass, at once he is present.)

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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