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

Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, 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.”

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

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, “ Seek Me that you may 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 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 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 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 cast down righteousness to the earth:

For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to 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,

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

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

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

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

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.

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 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 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 a prudent person keeps silent in such a 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; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.

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

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

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

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 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 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 W on’t the day of Yahweh be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and 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 feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.

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

“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! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

“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 roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

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

25 “ Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, 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 the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, 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 will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of Armies.

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