1. Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:
2. “Fallen, no more to rise,is the virgin Israel;forsaken on her land,with none to raise her up.”
3. For thus says the Lord God:“The city that went out a thousandshall have a hundred left,and that which went out a hundredshall have ten leftto the house of Israel.”
4. For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;
5. but do not seek Bethel,and do not enter into Gilgalor cross over to Beersheba;for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,and Bethel shall come to nothing.”
6. Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
7. O you who turn justice to wormwoodand cast down righteousness to the earth!
8. He who made the Pleiades and Orion,and turns deep darkness into the morningand darkens the 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. who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,so that destruction comes upon the fortress.
10. They hate him who reproves in the gate,and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
11. Therefore because you trample on the poorand you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone,but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards,but you shall not drink their wine.
12. For I know how many are your transgressionsand how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,and turn aside the needy in the gate.