⁷ Truly, the stork in the heavens is conscious of her fixed times; the dove and the swallow and the crane keep to the times of their coming; but my people have no knowledge of the law of the Lord.

³ Even the ox has knowledge of its owner, and the ass of the place where its master puts its food: but Israel has no knowledge, my people give no thought to me.

¹² The flowers are come on the earth; the time of cutting the vines is come, and the voice of the dove is sounding in our land;

⁴ Then I said, But these are the poor: they are foolish, for they have no knowledge of the way of the Lord or of the behaviour desired by their God.

⁵ I will go to the great men and have talk with them; for they have knowledge of the way of the Lord and of the behaviour desired by their God. But as for these, their one purpose is a broken yoke and burst bands.

⁶ Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:

⁷ Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

⁸ She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.

¹² And corded instruments and wind-instruments and wine are in their feasts: but they give no thought to the work of the Lord, and they are not interested in what his hands are doing.