HEAR my prayer, O LORD, * and let my crying come unto thee.
 
Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble; * incline thine ear unto me when I call; O hear me, and that right soon.
 
For my days are consumed away like smoke, * and my bones are burnt up as it were a firebrand.
 
My heart is smitten down, and withered like grass; * so that I forget to eat my bread.
 
For the voice of my groaning, * my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh.
 
I am become like a pelican in the wilderness, * and like an owl that is in the desert.
 
I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow, * that sitteth alone upon the housetop.
 
Mine enemies revile me all the day long; * and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me.
 
For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, * and mingled my drink with weeping;
 
And that, because of thine indignation and wrath; * for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.
 
My days are gone like a shadow, * and I am withered like grass.
 
But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever, * and thy remembrance throughout all generations.
 
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion; * for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come.
 
And why? thy servants think upon her stones, * and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.
 

 
vs 15 The nations shall fear thy Name, O LORD; * and all the kings of the earth thy majesty;
 
When the LORD shall build up Sion, * and when his glory shall appear;
 
When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor destitute, * and despiseth not their desire.
 
This shall be written for those that come after, * and the people which shall be born shall praise the LORD.
 
For he hath looked down from his sanctuary; * out of the heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
 
That he might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity, * and deliver them that are appointed unto death;
 
That they may declare the Name of the LORD in Sion, * and his worship at Jerusalem;
 
When the peoples are gathered together, * and the kingdoms also, to serve the LORD.
 
He brought down my strength in my journey, * and shortened my days.
 
But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age; * as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.
 
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, * and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
 
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: * they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
 
And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; * but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
 
The children of thy servants shall continue, * and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.

OUT of the deep have I called unto thee, O LORD; * Lord, hear my voice.
 
O let thine ears consider well * the voice of my complaint.
 
If thou, LORD, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, * O Lord, who may abide it?
 
For there is mercy with thee; * therefore shalt thou be feared.
 
I look for the LORD; my soul doth wait for him; * in his word is my trust.
 
My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch; * I say, before the morning watch.
 
O Israel, trust in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, * and with him is plenteous redemption.
 
And he shall redeem Israel * from all his sins.

And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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