Answer me quickly, Lord! My strength is fading. ¹  Do not reject me, ²  or I will join ³  those descending into the grave. ⁴ 

The one who despises instruction ¹  will pay the penalty, ²  but whoever esteems instruction ³  will ⁴  be rewarded. ⁵ 

ג (Gimel) Even the jackals ¹  nurse their young at their breast, ²  but my people ³  are cruel, like ostriches ⁴  in the desert.

“Go immediately ¹  to Nineveh, ²  that ³  large capital ⁴  city, ⁵  and announce judgment against ⁶  its people ⁷  because their wickedness ⁸  has come to my attention.” ⁹ 

“Go immediately ¹  to Nineveh, that large city, ²  and proclaim to ³  it the message that I tell you.”

Leave them! They are blind guides. ¹  If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, ²  both will fall into a pit.”

Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. ¹  For a person ²  will reap what he sows,

With flaming fire he will mete out ¹  punishment on those who do not know God ²  and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, ¹  that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day.

If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him, ¹  but be sure to help ²  him with it. ³ 

If, however, the people of the land shut their eyes ¹  to that man ²  when he gives some of his children to Molech so that they do not put him to death,

Moses the Lord’s servant passed on the Lord’s commands to Joshua, and Joshua did as he was told. He did not ignore any of the commands the Lord had given Moses. ¹ 

For the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” ²  a psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? ³  I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. ⁴ 

For he did not despise or detest the suffering ¹  of the oppressed; ²  he did not ignore him; ³  when he cried out to him, he responded. ⁴ 

By David. To you, O Lord, I cry out! My protector, ²  do not ignore me! ³  If you do not respond to me, ⁴  I will join ⁵  those who are descending into the grave. ⁶ 

Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! ¹  Listen to me! ²  When I call out to you, quickly answer me!

For you ignore ¹  the God who rescues you; you pay no attention to your strong protector. ²  So this is what happens: You cultivate beautiful plants and plant exotic vines. ³ 

But as for you who abandon the Lord and forget about worshiping at ¹  my holy mountain, who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ ²  and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ ³  –

You have destroyed ¹  my people by failing to acknowledge me! Because you refuse to acknowledge me, ²  I will reject you as my priests. Because you reject ³  the law of your God, I will reject ⁴  your descendants.

“But surely I gave ¹  you no food to eat in any of your cities; you lacked food everywhere you live. ²  Still you did not come back to me.” The Lord is speaking!