^{1 Ref} Give ear to this word, my song of sorrow over you, O children of Israel.

^{2 Ref} The virgin of Israel has been made low, never again to be lifted up: she is stretched out by herself on her land; there is no one to put her on her feet again.

^{3 Ref} For these are the words of the Lord God: The town which was able to send out a thousand, will have only a hundred; and that which sent out a hundred, will have only ten, in Israel.

^{4 Ref} For these are the words of the Lord to the children of Israel: Let your hearts be turned to me, so that you may have life:

^{5 Ref} Do not be looking for help to Beth-el, and do not go to Gilgal, or make your way to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal will certainly be taken prisoner, and Beth-el will come to nothing.

^{6 Ref} Go to the Lord for help so that you may have life; for fear that he may come like fire bursting out in the family of Joseph, causing destruction, and there will be no one to put it out in Beth-el.

^{7 Ref} You who make the work of judging a bitter thing, crushing down righteousness to the earth;

^{8 Ref} Go for help to him who makes Orion and the Pleiades, by whom the deep dark is turned into morning, who makes the day black with night; whose voice goes out to the waters of the sea, sending them out over the face of the earth: the Lord is his name;

^{9 Ref} Who sends sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the walled town.

^{10 Ref} They have hate for him who makes protest against evil in the public place, and he whose words are upright is disgusting to them.

^{11 Ref} So because the poor man is crushed under your feet, and you take taxes from him of grain: you have made for yourselves houses of cut stone, but you will not take your rest in them; the fair vine-gardens planted by your hands will not give you wine.

^{12 Ref} For I have seen how your evil-doing is increased and how strong are your sins, you troublers of the upright, who take rewards and do wrong to the cause of the poor in the public place.

^{13 Ref} So the wise will say nothing in that time; for it is an evil time.

^{14 Ref} Go after good and not evil, so that life may be yours: and so the Lord, the God of armies, will be with you, as you say.

^{15 Ref} Be haters of evil and lovers of good, and let right be done in the public place: it may be that the Lord, the God of armies, will have mercy on the rest of Joseph.

^{16 Ref} So these are the words of the Lord, the God of armies, the Lord: There will be weeping in all the open spaces; and in all the streets they will say, Sorrow! sorrow! and they will get in the farmer to the weeping, and the makers of sad songs to give cries of grief.

^{17 Ref} In all the vine-gardens there will be cries of grief: for I will go through among you, says the Lord.

^{18 Ref} Sorrow to you who are looking for the day of the Lord! what is the day of the Lord to you? it is dark and not light.

^{19 Ref} As if a man, running away from a lion, came face to face with a bear; or went into the house and put his hand on the wall and got a bite from a snake.

^{20 Ref} Will not the day of the Lord be dark and not light? even very dark, with no light shining in it?

^{21 Ref} Your feasts are disgusting to me, I will have nothing to do with them; I will take no delight in your holy meetings.

^{22 Ref} Even if you give me your burned offerings and your meal offerings, I will not take pleasure in them: I will have nothing to do with the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.

^{23 Ref} Take away from me the noise of your songs; my ears are shut to the melody of your instruments.

^{24 Ref} But let the right go rolling on like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

^{25 Ref} Did you come to me with offerings of beasts and meal offerings in the waste land for forty years, O Israel?

^{26 Ref} Truly, you will take up Saccuth your king and Kaiwan your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

^{27 Ref} And I will send you away as prisoners farther than Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of armies.

^{1 Ref} Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.

^{2 Ref} The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is cast down upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

^{3 Ref} For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left, to the house of Israel.

^{4 Ref} For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;

^{5 Ref} but seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.

^{6 Ref} Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.

^{7 Ref} Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,

^{8 Ref} `seek him' that maketh the Pleiades 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 (Jehovah is his name);

^{9 Ref} that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.

^{10 Ref} They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

^{11 Ref} Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him 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 the wine thereof.

^{12 Ref} For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins-ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate `from their right'.

^{13 Ref} Therefore he that is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.

^{14 Ref} Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.

^{15 Ref} Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

^{16 Ref} Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all the broad ways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! Alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful in lamentation to wailing.

^{17 Ref} And in all vineyards shall be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith Jehovah.

^{18 Ref} Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light.

^{19 Ref} As 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.

^{20 Ref} Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

^{21 Ref} I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

^{22 Ref} Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.

^{23 Ref} Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

^{24 Ref} But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

^{25 Ref} Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

^{26 Ref} Yea, ye have borne the tabernacle of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

^{27 Ref} Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Jehovah, whose name is the God of hosts.

^{1 Ref} Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.

^{2 Ref} "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 Ref} For thus says the Lord Yahweh: "The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, And that which went forth one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel."

^{4 Ref} For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel: "Seek me, and you will live;

^{5 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} You who turn justice to wormwood, And cast down righteousness to the earth:

^{8 Ref} 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 Ref} Who brings sudden destruction on the strong, So that destruction comes on the fortress.

^{10 Ref} They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

^{11 Ref} Forasmuch therefore as you trample on the poor, And take taxes from him of wheat: You have built houses of hewn stone, But you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink their wine.

^{12 Ref} 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 Ref} Therefore he who is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; For it is an evil time.

^{14 Ref} Seek good, and not evil, That you may live; And so Yahweh, the God of hosts, will be with you, As you say.

^{15 Ref} Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."

^{16 Ref} Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the Lord: "Wailing will be in all the broad 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 Ref} In all vineyards there will be wailing; For I will pass through the midst of you," says Yahweh.

^{18 Ref} "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 Ref} 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 Ref} Will the day of Yahweh not be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

^{21 Ref} I hate, I despise your feasts, And I can't stand your solemn assemblies.

^{22 Ref} 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 Ref} Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

^{24 Ref} But let justice roll on like rivers, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

^{25 Ref} "Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?

^{26 Ref} Yes, you have borne the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

^{27 Ref} Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus," says Yahweh, whose name is the God of hosts.