TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 39

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Do you know the season when the mountain goats give birth? Can you mark the time when the hinds calve?

אהֲיָדַעְתָּ עֵת לֶדֶת יַעֲלֵי־סָלַע חֹלֵל אַיָּלוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר׃

2Can you count the months they must complete? Do you know the season they give birth,

בתִּסְפֹּר יְרָחִים תְּמַלֶּאנָה וְיָדַעְתָּ עֵת לִדְתָּנָה׃

3When they couch to bring forth their offspring, To deliver their young?

גתִּכְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶן תְּפַלַּחְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶם תְּשַׁלַּחְנָה׃

4Their young are healthy; they grow up in the open; They leave and return no more.

דיַחְלְמוּ בְנֵיהֶם יִרְבּוּ בַבָּר יָצְאוּ וְלֹא־שָׁבוּ לָמוֹ׃

5Who sets the wild ass free? Who loosens the bonds of the onager,

המִי־שִׁלַּח פֶּרֶא חָפְשִׁי וּמֹסְרוֹת עָרוֹד מִי פִתֵּחַ׃

6Whose home I have made the wilderness, The salt land his dwelling-place?

ואֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי עֲרָבָה בֵיתוֹ וּמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָיו מְלֵחָה׃

7He scoffs at the tumult of the city, Does not hear the shouts of the driver.

זיִשְׂחַק לַהֲמוֹן קִרְיָה תְּשֻׁאוֹת נוֹגֵשׂ לֹא יִשְׁמָע׃

8He roams the hills for his pasture; He searches for any green thing.

חיְתוּר הָרִים מִרְעֵהוּ וְאַחַר כָּל־יָרוֹק יִדְרוֹשׁ׃

9Would the wild ox agree to serve you? Would he spend the night at your crib?

טהֲיֹאבֶה רֵּים עָבְדֶךָ אִם־יָלִין עַל־אֲבוּסֶךָ׃

10Can you hold the wild ox by ropes to the furrow? Would he plow up the valleys behind you?

יהֲ‍תִקְשָׁר־רֵים בְּתֶלֶם עֲבֹתוֹ אִם־יְשַׂדֵּד עֲמָקִים אַחֲרֶיךָ׃

11Would you rely on his great strength And leave your toil to him?

יאהֲתִבְטַח־בּוֹ כִּי־רַב כֹּחוֹ וְתַעֲזֹב אֵלָיו יְגִיעֶךָ׃

12Would you trust him to bring in the seed And gather it in from your threshing floor?

יבהֲתַאֲמִין בּוֹ כִּי־ישוב [יָשִׁיב] זַרְעֶךָ וְגָרְנְךָ יֶאֱסֹף׃

13The wing of the ostrich beats joyously; Are her pinions and plumage like the stork's?

k'-naf r'-na-NEEM ne-e-LA-sah im ev-RAH kha-see-DAH v'-no-TZAH

יגכְּנַף־רְנָנִים נֶעֱלָסָה אִם־אֶבְרָה חֲסִידָה וְנֹצָה׃

 39:13   The wing of the ostrich beats joyously

An ostrich at the Yotvata Wildlife Preserve.

The Land of Israel used to be home to wild os­triches, until they became extinct in the region as a result of hunting. In fact, in 2006, four ancient ostrich eggs, thought to be at least 5,000 years old, were found in the Sharon region, just north of Tel Aviv. Because they were common in ancient Israel, ostriches are mentioned in a number of places in the Bible. Verses 13-18 make mention of the cruelty of the ostrich, which leaves its eggs to be trampled and is callous to its young (see also Lamentations 4:3). The ostrich is also listed among the non-kosher birds that are forbidden to be eaten (Leviticus 11:16 and Deu­teronomy 14:15).

14She leaves her eggs on the ground, Letting them warm in the dirt,

ידכִּי־תַעֲזֹב לָאָרֶץ בֵּצֶיהָ וְעַל־עָפָר תְּחַמֵּם׃

15Forgetting they may be crushed underfoot, Or trampled by a wild beast.

טווַתִּשְׁכַּח כִּי־רֶגֶל תְּזוּרֶהָ וְחַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה תְּדוּשֶׁהָ׃

16Her young are cruelly abandoned as if they were not hers; Her labor is in vain for lack of concern.

טזהִקְשִׁיחַ בָּנֶיהָ לְּלֹא־לָהּ לְרִיק יְגִיעָהּ בְּלִי־פָחַד׃

17For Hashem deprived her of wisdom, Gave her no share of understanding,

יזכִּי־הִשָּׁהּ אֱלוֹהַּ חָכְמָה וְלֹא־חָלַק לָהּ בַּבִּינָה׃

18Else she would soar on high, Scoffing at the horse and its rider.

יחכָּעֵת בַּמָּרוֹם תַּמְרִיא תִּשְׂחַק לַסּוּס וּלְרֹכְבוֹ׃

19Do you give the horse his strength? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

יטהֲתִתֵּן לַסּוּס גְּבוּרָה הֲתַלְבִּישׁ צַוָּארוֹ רַעְמָה׃

20Do you make him quiver like locusts, His majestic snorting [spreading] terror?

כהְתַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ כָּאַרְבֶּה הוֹד נַחְרוֹ אֵימָה׃

21He paws with force, he runs with vigor, Charging into battle.

כאיַחְפְּרוּ בָעֵמֶק וְיָשִׂישׂ בְּכֹחַ יֵצֵא לִקְרַאת־נָשֶׁק׃

22He scoffs at fear; he cannot be frightened; He does not recoil from the sword.

כביִשְׂחַק לְפַחַד וְלֹא יֵחָת וְלֹא־יָשׁוּב מִפְּנֵי־חָרֶב׃

23A quiverful of arrows whizzes by him, And the flashing spear and the javelin.

כגעָלָיו תִּרְנֶה אַשְׁפָּה לַהַב חֲנִית וְכִידוֹן׃

24Trembling with excitement, he swallows the land; He does not turn aside at the blast of the trumpet.

כדבְּרַעַשׁ וְרֹגֶז יְגַמֶּא־אָרֶץ וְלֹא־יַאֲמִין כִּי־קוֹל שׁוֹפָר׃

25As the trumpet sounds, he says, “Aha!” From afar he smells the battle, The roaring and shouting of the officers.

כהבְּדֵי שֹׁפָר יֹאמַר הֶאָח וּמֵרָחוֹק יָרִיחַ מִלְחָמָה רַעַם שָׂרִים וּתְרוּעָה׃

26Is it by your wisdom that the hawk grows pinions, Spreads his wings to the south?

כוהֲ‍מִבִּינָתְךָ יַאֲבֶר־נֵץ יִפְרֹשׂ כנפו [כְּנָפָיו] לְתֵימָן׃

27Does the eagle soar at your command, Building his nest high,

כזאִם־עַל־פִּיךָ יַגְבִּיהַּ נָשֶׁר וְכִי יָרִים קִנּוֹ׃

28Dwelling in the rock, Lodging upon the fastness of a jutting rock?

כחסֶלַע יִשְׁכֹּן וְיִתְלֹנָן עַל־שֶׁן־סֶלַע וּמְצוּדָה׃

29From there he spies out his food; From afar his eyes see it.

כטמִשָּׁם חָפַר־אֹכֶל לְמֵרָחוֹק עֵינָיו יַבִּיטוּ׃

30His young gulp blood; Where the slain are, there is he.

לואפרחו [וְאֶפְרֹחָיו] יְעַלְעוּ־דָם וּבַאֲשֶׁר חֲלָלִים שָׁם הוּא׃