⁹ Do not be like the horse or the ass, without sense; ...

³ A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

¹¹ Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven?

³ Now if we put bits of iron into horses' mouths so that they may be guided by us, we have complete control of their bodies.

⁷ For this cause be ruled by God; but make war on the Evil One and he will be put to flight before you.

⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Make your hands clean, you evil-doers; put away deceit from your hearts, you false in mind.

⁹ Be troubled, with sorrow and weeping; let your laughing be turned to sorrow and your joy to grief.

¹⁰ Make yourselves low in the eyes of the Lord and you will be lifted up by him.

²² For my people are foolish, they have no knowledge of me; they are evil-minded children, without sense, all of them: they are wise in evil-doing, but have no knowledge of doing good.

⁶ I took note and gave ear, but no one said what is right: no man had regret for his evil-doing, saying, What have I done? everyone goes off on his way like a horse rushing to the fight.

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.

¹⁸ Certainly Ephraim's words of grief have come to my ears, You have given me training and I have undergone it like a young cow unused to the yoke: let me be turned and come back, for you are the Lord my God.