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.