A Lament for Israel

1“Hear this accusationa that I am bringing against you:

‘A dirge, house of Israel:

2Fallen is Israel the virgin—never to rise again!

She is abandoned on her own land,

with no one to raise her up.’

3“For this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘The city that is sending out a thousand

will have a hundred left;

The cityb that is sending out a hundred

will have ten left of the house of Israel.’”

Seek God, and Live

4“For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel:

‘Seek me and live,

5but don’t seek Bethel.

Don’t go to Gilgal,

and don’t pass over to Beer-sheba.

Because Gilgal will surely go into captivity,c

and Bethel will come to nothing.

6‘Seek the LORD and live!

Otherwise, he may break out like a fire in the house of Joseph

and devour Bethel,d

and there will be no one to extinguish it.

7Those of you who are making justice taste bitter,e

and who have thrown righteousness to the ground:

8Seekf the one who fashions the Pleiades and Orion,

who turns the deep darknessg into morning,

who darkens day into night,

who calls out to the waters of the sea,

pouring them out onto the surface of the earth—

the LORD is his name.

9It is he who is raining sudden destruction

upon the strong like lightning,h

so that ruin comes upon the fortress.

10They have hated those who are presenting their cases in court,i

detesting the one who speaks truthfully.

11‘Therefore, since you trample the poor continuously,

taxing his grain,

building houses of stone in which you won’t live

and planting fine vineyards from which you won’t drink—

12and because I know that your transgressions are many,

and your sins are numerous

as you oppose the righteous,

taking bribes as a ransom,

and turning away the poor in courtj —

13therefore the prudent person remains silent at such a time,

for the time is evil.

14‘Pursue good and not evil,

so that you may live,

and this is what will happen:k

The LORD God of the Heavenly Armies will be with you,

as you have been claiming.

15Hate evil and love good,

and establish justice in court—l

perhaps the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies,

will be gracious to the survivors of Joseph.’”

16Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, the Lord, says:

‘There will be dirges in all of the streets;

and in all of the highways they will cry out in anguish.m

They will call the farmer to mourning

and those who lamentn to grieve.

17And in all of the vineyards there will be mourning

when I pass through your midst,’

says the LORD.”

The Fearful Day of the LORD

18“Woe to those who are craving the Day of the LORD!

How is it to your benefit, this Day of the LORD?

It’s a day ofo darkness to you, and not light.

19It will be like a man who runs from a lion,

only to encounter a bear;

or who comes home, leans his hand against a wall,

and a serpent bites him!

20Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness, and not light—

pitch black at that, without a ray of sunshine?”

Let Justice Roll On

21“I hate—I despise—your festival days,

and your solemn convocations stink.p

22Andq if you send up burnt offerings to me

as well as your grain offerings,

I will not accept them,

nor will I consider your peace offerings of fattened cattle.

23Spare me your noisy singing—

I will not listen to your musical instruments.r

24“But let justice roll on like manys waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing river.

25“Was it to me that you brought offerings and gifts

in the desert for 40 years, house of Israel?

26And you carried the tent of your kingt —

and Saturn,u your star god idolsv that you crafted for yourselves.

27So I will cause you to be taken captive beyond Damascus,”

says the LORD,

whose name is God of the Heavenly Armies.