1 ¶ Hear ye this word, because I raise up a lamentation upon you, 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 not be able to rise again: she was forsaken upon 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 hath the Lord GOD said: The city that sent out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which sent forth a hundred shall have ten, in 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 ¶ But thus hath the LORD said unto the house of Israel, Seek me, and ye shall live:

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

5 b ut do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and do not pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

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 ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph and devour it, and there be no one 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 e who turn judgment to wormwood and leave off doing righteousness in the earth,

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

8 l ook unto him that makes the seven stars and Orion and turns the shadow of death into the morning and makes the day dark with night, that 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 t hat strengthens the spoiler against the strong, so that the spoiler shall come against the fortress.

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

10 T hey hate him that rebukes in the gate, and they abhor him that speaks uprightly.

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

11 F orasmuch 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.

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 have known of your many rebellions and your great sins that afflict the just and take a ransom and turn aside the poor 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 the prudent shall keep silence in that 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 that which is good, and not that which is evil that ye may live; and so the LORD, the God of the hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

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 judgment in the gate; it may be that the LORD God of the hosts will be gracious unto 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 ¶ Therefore the LORD, the God of the hosts, the Lord, said this: 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.

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 shall be wailing, for I will pass through the midst of thee, said the LORD.

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

18 W oe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD shall be 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 A s if a man fled 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.

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, and not light? even very dark, and 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 solemnities, and I will not savour your assemblies.

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

22 T hough ye offer me your burnt offerings and your presents, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat 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 thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy instruments.

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

24 B ut let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

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

25 D id you perchance offer me any sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness in forty years, O house of Israel?

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

26 B ut ye have offered unto Sicut your king, and unto Chiun your idols, the star of your gods which ye made.

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 captivity beyond Damascus, said the LORD, whose name is The God of the hosts.

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