1 H ear this word which I take up concerning you in lamentation, O house of Israel:

Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.

2 T he Virgin of Israel has fallen; she shall no more rise; she lies cast down and forsaken on her land; there is no one to raise her up.

The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

3 F or thus says the Lord God: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.

For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

4 F or thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek Me and you shall live!

For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

5 B ut seek not Bethel nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity and exile, and Bethel shall become Beth-aven and come to nothing.

but seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.

6 S eek the Lord and you shall live, lest He rush down like fire upon the house of Joseph and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.

7 Y ou who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) down to the ground,

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

8 S eek Him Who made the Pleiades and Orion, Who turns the shadow of death or deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth—the Lord is His name—

seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name:

9 W ho causes sudden destruction to flash forth upon the strong so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

that strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

10 T hey hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks uprightly.

They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

11 T herefore because you tread upon the poor and take from him exactions of wheat, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.

Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

12 F or I know how manifold are your transgressions and how mighty are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the gate from their right.

For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.

13 T herefore he who is prudent will keep silence in such a time, for it is an evil time.

Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.

14 S eek (inquire for and require) good and not evil that you may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

15 H ate the evil and love the good and establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

16 T herefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: There shall be wailing in all the broad ways, and in all the streets they shall say, Alas! Alas! And they shall call the farmers to mourning and such as are skilled in lamentation to wailing.

Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

17 A nd in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord.

And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the Lord.

18 W oe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light;

Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.

19 I t is as if a man fled from a lion and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned with his hand against the wall and a serpent bit him.

As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

20 S hall not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light? Even very dark with no brightness in it?

Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell a savor or take delight in your solemn assemblies.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

22 T hough you offer Me your burnt offerings and your cereal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look upon the peace or thank offerings of your fatted beasts.

Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

23 T ake away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

24 B ut let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream.

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

25 D id you bring to Me sacrifices and cereal offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

26 b ut you carried about the tent of your king Sakkuth and Kaiwan, your images of your star-god which you made for yourselves.

But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

27 T herefore I will cause you to go into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts.