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

Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel:

2 T he virgin of Israel has fallen; She will rise no more. She lies forsaken on her land; There is no one to raise her up.

She has fallen, she will not rise again— The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up.

3 F or thus says the Lord God: “The city that goes out by a thousand Shall have a hundred left, And that which goes out by a hundred Shall have ten left to the house of Israel.” A Call to Repentance

For thus says the Lord God, “The city which goes forth a thousand strong Will have a hundred left, And the one which goes forth a hundred strong Will have ten left to the house of Israel.”

4 F or thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live;

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, “ Seek Me that you may live.

5 B ut do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing.

“But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to trouble.

6 S eek the Lord and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel—

“ Seek the Lord that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,

7 Y ou who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!”

For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth.”

8 H e made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The Lord is His name.

He who made the Pleiades and Orion And changes deep darkness into morning, Who also darkens day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the surface of the earth, The Lord is His name.

9 H e rains ruin upon the strong, So that fury comes upon the fortress.

It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress.

10 T hey hate the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.

They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks with integrity.

11 T herefore, because you tread down the poor And take grain taxes from him, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, Yet you shall not dwell in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink wine from them.

Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.

12 F or I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.

For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who distress the righteous and accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate.

13 T herefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time.

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

14 S eek good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said!

15 H ate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. The Day of the Lord

Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

16 T herefore the Lord God of hosts, the Lord, says this: “ There shall be wailing in all streets, And they shall say in all the highways, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They shall call the farmer to mourning, And skillful lamenters to wailing.

Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the Lord, “There is wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They also call the farmer to mourning And professional mourners to lamentation.

17 I n all vineyards there shall be wailing, For I will pass through you,” Says the Lord.

“And in all the vineyards there is wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the Lord.

18 W oe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light.

Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light;

19 I t will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him!

As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.

20 I s not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?

Will not the day of the Lord be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?

21 “ I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.

“I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 T hough you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.

“Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.

23 T ake away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.

“Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

24 B ut let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

“But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 “ Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

“ Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel?

26 Y ou also carried Sikkuth your king And Chiun, your idols, The star of your gods, Which you made for yourselves.

You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.

27 T herefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus,” Says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.