1. Hear this word which I utter concerning you,this dirge, house of Israel:
2. She is fallen, to rise no more,virgin Israel;She lies abandoned on her land,with no one to raise her up.
3. For thus says the Lord Godto the house of Israel:The city that marched out with a thousandshall be left with a hundred,Another that marched out with a hundredshall be left with ten.
4. For thus says the Lordto the house of Israel:Seek me, that you may live,
5. but do not seek Bethel;Do not come to Gilgal,and do not cross over to Beer-sheba;For Gilgal shall be led into exileand Bethel shall be no more.
6. Seek the Lord, that you may live,lest he flare up against the house of Joseph like a firethat shall consume the house of Israel, with no one to quench it.
8. The one who made the Pleiades and Orion,who turns darkness into dawn,and darkens day into night;Who summons the waters of the sea,and pours them out on the surface of the earth;
9. Who makes destruction fall suddenly upon the strongholdand brings ruin upon the fortress,the Lord is his name.
7. Woe to those who turn justice into wormwoodand cast righteousness to the ground,
10. They hate those who reprove at the gateand abhor those who speak with integrity;
11. Therefore, because you tax the destituteand exact from them levies of grain,Though you have built houses of hewn stone,you shall not live in them;Though you have planted choice vineyards,you shall not drink their wine.
12. Yes, I know how many are your crimes,how grievous your sins:Oppressing the just, accepting bribes,turning away the needy at the gate.
13. (Therefore at this time the wise are struck dumbfor it is an evil time.)
14. Seek good and not evil,that you may live;Then truly the Lord, the God of hosts,will be with you as you claim.
15. Hate evil and love good,and let justice prevail at the gate;Then it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,will have pity on the remnant of Joseph.
16. Therefore, thus says the Lord,the God of hosts, the Lord:In every square there shall be lamentation,and in every street they shall cry, “Oh, no!”They shall summon the farmers to wailand the professional mourners to lament.
17. And in every vineyard there shall be lamentationwhen I pass through your midst, says the Lord.
18. Woe to those who yearnfor the day of the Lord!What will the day of the Lord mean for you?It will be darkness, not light!
19. As if someone fled from a lionand a bear met him;Or as if on entering the househe rested his hand against the wall,and a snake bit it.
20. Truly, the day of the Lord will be darkness, not light,gloom without any brightness!
21. I hate, I despise your feasts,I take no pleasure in your solemnities.
22. Even though you bring me your burnt offerings and grain offeringsI will not accept them;Your stall-fed communion offerings,I will not look upon them.
23. Take away from meyour noisy songs;The melodies of your harps,I will not listen to them.
24. Rather let justice surge like waters,and righteousness like an unfailing stream.
25. Did you bring me sacrifices and grain offeringsfor forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
26. Yet you will carry away Sukuth, your king,and Kaiwan, your star-image,your gods that you have made for yourselves,
27. As I exile you beyond Damascus,says the Lord,whose name is the God of hosts.