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

¶ Hear ye this word, because I raise up a lamentation upon you, O house of Israel.

2 “ 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.”

The 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.

3 F or 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.”

For 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.

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

¶ But thus hath the LORD said unto the house of Israel, Seek me, and ye shall live:

5 b ut 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.

but 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.

6 S eek 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.

Seek 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.

7 Y ou who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:

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

8 s eek 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,

look 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;

9 w ho brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.

that strengthens the spoiler against the strong, so that the spoiler shall come against the fortress.

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

They hate him that rebukes in the gate, and they abhor him that speaks uprightly.

11 T herefore, 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.

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 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.

For 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.

13 T herefore a prudent person keeps silent 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 good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.

Seek 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.

15 H ate 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.”

Hate 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.

16 T herefore 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.

¶ 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.

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

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

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

19 A s 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.

As 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.

20 W on’t the day of Yahweh 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 feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.

¶ I hate, I despise your solemnities, and I will not savour your assemblies.

22 Y es, 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.

Though 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.

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

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

24 B ut let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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