Job · Chapter 39

[ edit] Wheþer þou haſt knowen þe time of þe berþe of wilde capretis in ſtonys, or þou haſt waitid hindis berende calf? Þou haſt noumbrid þe moneþis of conceyuyng of hem, and þou haſt knowe þe time of þe birþe of hem? Þei ben bowid to þe frut of kinde, and beren; and roringus þei ſenden out. Þe ſones of hem ben ſeuered, and go to þe feding; þei gon out, and ben not turned aȝeen to þem. Who lafte þe aſſe fre, and his bondis who looſide? To whom I ȝaf in wilderneſſe an hous, and his tabernaclis in þe lond of bareynte. He deſpiſeþ þe multitude of þe cite; þe cry of þe pletere he hereþ not. He beholdeþ aboute þe hillis of hys leſwe, and alle grene growende þingis he ſecheþ.

Wheþer þe vnycorn ſhal wiln ſerue to þee, or ſhal dwelle at þi cracche? Wheþer ſhalt þou tie to eren þe vnycorn wiþ þi bridil, or he ſhal breke clottis of valeis after þee? Wheþer troſt þou ſhalt han in þe grete ſtrengþe of hym, and leuen to hym þi trauailis? Wheþer takiſt þou to hym, þat ſeed he ȝeelde to þee, and þi corn flor he gedere? Þe feþer of a ſtrucioun is lic to þe feþeris of a ierfakoun, and of a goſhauk; þat leueþ hir eiren in þe erþe, þou perauenture in pouder ſhalt make þem hot. She forȝet, þat þe foot to-trede þem, or beſte of þe feeld to-broſe. She is maad hard to hir ſones, as þoȝ þei be not hiris; in veyn ſhe trauailide, no drede conſtreynende.

God forſoþe priuede hir wiſdam, and ȝaf not to hir vnderſtonding. Whan time were, in heiȝte ſhe rerede out hir weengis; ſcorneþ þe hors, and þe ſteȝere vp of it. Wheþer ſhalt þou ȝiue to þe hors ſtrengþe, or don aboute his necke neyenge? Wheþer ſhalt þou reren hym as locuſtis? Þe glorie of his neſe þerlis ferd. Þe erþe þe houe delueþ, hardili he gladeþ out; in to þe aȝencomyng he goþ to þe armed. He diſpiſiþ dreede, and he ȝiueþ not ſtede to þe ſwerd. Vp on hym þe arewe girdil ſhal ſounen; þe ſpere and þe ſheeld ſhal braundiſhen. Feruent and gnaſtende he ſoupeþ þe erþe; and rewarde he not to þe trumpe ſounende trumping.

Where he ſhal here þe trumpe, he ſhal ſeyn, Fy! aferr he ſmelliþ bataile; þe cleping to of dukis, and ȝelling of þe oſt. Wheþer bi þi wiſdam waxeþ feþerid þe goſhauk, ſtrecchende out his weengus to þe ſouþ? Wheþer at þi comaundement ſhal be rerid þe egle, and in heȝe þingus ſhal putten his neſt? In ſtones he dwelliþ, and in heȝe ſett ſcarri flintis he bideþ, and in rochis hard to come to. Þennes he behalt mete, and fro a ferr his eȝen beholden. His briddes licken blod, and wher euere ſhal be þe careyn, anoon he is neeȝh.