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 against you, a lamentation, 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 will rise no more. She lies forsaken on 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 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

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 and 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 Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing.

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

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

You who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest 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,

He 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.

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

He rains ruin upon the strong, So that fury comes upon the fortress.

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

They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who 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.

Therefore, 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.

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

13 T herefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.

Therefore the prudent keep silent at 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 good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you 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 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

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 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.

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

In all vineyards there shall be wailing, For I will pass through 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.

Woe 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.

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.

It 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!

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

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

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

“I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred 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 you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.

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, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.

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

But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

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

“Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness 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 Sikkuth your king And Chiun, your idols, 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 send you into captivity beyond Damascus,” Says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.