Study Desk

I went down to the base of the mountains.The earth with its bars closed behind me forever,But You have brought up my life from the pit, O Yahweh my God.

And the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

But both man and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God with their strength that each may turn from his evil way and from the violence which is in his hands.

Who knows, God may turn and relent and turn away from His burning anger so that we will not perish."

Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, so God relented concerning the evil which He had spoken He would bring upon them. And He did not bring it upon them.

And he prayed to Yahweh and said, "Ah! O Yahweh, was not this my word to myself while I was still in my own land? Therefore I went ahead to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning evil.

So Yahweh God appointed a plant, and it came up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his miserable evil. And Jonah was extremely glad about the plant.

But God appointed a worm at the breaking of dawn the next day, and it struck the plant, and it dried up.

Then it happened that as the sun rose up, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun struck down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and asked with all his soul to die and said, "Death is better to me than life."

Then God said to Jonah, "Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "I have good reason to be angry, even to death."

The seers will be ashamed,And the diviners will be humiliated.Indeed, they will all cover their mouthsBecause there is no answer from God.

Therefore, on account of youZion will be plowed as a field;Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,And the mountain of the house of God will become high places of a forest.

And many nations will come and say,"Come and let us go up to the mountain of YahwehAnd to the house of the God of Jacob,That He may instruct us from His waysAnd that we may walk in His paths."For from Zion will go forth the law,And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.

Though all the peoples walkEach in the name of his god,As for us, we will walkIn the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever.

With what shall I come before YahwehAnd bow myself before the God on high?Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,With yearling calves?

He has told you, O man, what is good;And what does Yahweh require of youBut to do justice, to love lovingkindness,And to walk humbly with your God?

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for Yahweh;I will wait for the God of my salvation.My God will hear me.

Then my enemy will see,And shame will cover her who said to me,"Where is Yahweh your God?"My eyes will look on her;At that time she will be trampled downLike mire of the streets.

They will lick the dust like a serpent,Like crawling things of the earth.They will come trembling out of their fortresses;To Yahweh our God they will come in dread,And they will be afraid before You.

Who is a God like You, who forgives iniquityAnd passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance?He does not hold fast to His anger foreverBecause He delights in lovingkindness.