1. Hear this word which I take up against you, this lamentation, O house of Yisra’ĕl:
2. The maiden of Yisra’ĕl has fallen, not to rise again. She lies forsaken on her land, with no one to lift her up.
3. For thus said the Master יהוה, “The city that goes out by a thousand has a hundred left, and that which goes out by a hundred has ten left to the house of Yisra’ĕl.”
4. For thus said יהוה to the house of Yisra’ĕl, “Seek Me and live,
5. but do not seek Bĕyth Ěl, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over to Be’ĕrsheḇa. For Gilgal shall certainly go into exile, and Bĕyth Ěl become a non-entity.
6. “Seek יהוה and live, lest He break out like fire upon the house of Yosĕph, and shall consume it, with no one to quench it in Bĕyth Ěl.
7. “O you who are turning right-ruling to wormwood, and have cast down righteousness to the earth!”
8. He who made Kimah and Kesil, and who turns the shadow of death into morning and darkened day into night, who is calling for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth – יהוה is His Name –
9. who is flashing forth destruction upon the strong, so that destruction comes upon the stronghold.
10. They hated the one who reproves in the gate, and they despise the one who speaks the truth.
11. Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take grain taxes from him – you have built houses of hewn stone but you are not going to dwell in them, you have planted pleasant vineyards but not drink wine from them.
12. For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, afflicting the righteous and accepting bribes, and turning aside the poor at the gate.
13. Therefore the wise keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time.
14. Seek good and not evil, so that you live. And let יהוה Elohim of hosts be with you, as you have spoken.
15. Hate evil and love good, and set up right-ruling in the gate. It might be that יהוה Elohim of hosts shows favour to the remnant of Yosĕph.
16. Therefore יהוה Elohim of hosts, יהוה, said this, “There is wailing in all open squares, and in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’ and shall call the farmer to mourning, and skilled lamenters to wailing.
17. “And in all vineyards there is wailing, for I pass through your midst,” said יהוה.
18. Woe to you who are longing for the day of יהוה! What does the day of יהוה mean to you? It is darkness, and not light,
19. as when a man flees from a lion, and a bear shall meet him; or entered his house, rested his hand on the wall, and a serpent shall bite him.
20. Is not the day of יהוה darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?
21. “I have hated, I have despised your festivals, and I am not pleased with your assemblies.
22. “Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I do not accept them, nor do I look on your fattened peace offerings.
23. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I do not hear the sound of your stringed instruments.
24. “And let right-ruling roll on like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
25. “You brought Me slaughterings and meal offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Yisra’ĕl,
26. but you took up Sikkuth your sovereign and Kiyyun, your idols, your astral mighty ones, which you made for yourselves!
27. “Therefore I shall send you into exile beyond Damascus,” said יהוה Elohim of hosts – His Name.