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

Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.

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

“The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up.”

3 F or 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.

For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”

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

For Yahweh says to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;

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

but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

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 none to quench it in Bethel.

Seek Yahweh, and you will live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.

7 Y e who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:

8 S eek 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:

seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name,

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

who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.

10 T hey hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

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.

Therefore, because you trample on the poor, and take taxes from him of wheat: You have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.

12 F or 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.

For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.

13 T herefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.

Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.

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

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.

15 H ate 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.

Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

16 T herefore 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.

Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies, the Lord, says: “Wailing will be in all the wide ways; and they will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ and they will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.

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

In all vineyards there will be wailing; for I will pass through the middle of you,” says Yahweh.

18 W oe 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.

“Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It is darkness, and not light.

19 A s 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.

As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.

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

Won’t the day of Yahweh be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

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

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.

22 T hough 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.

Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.

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

Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

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

But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

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

“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?

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

You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

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

Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of Armies.