| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: | 1Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel: |
| 2“Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.” | 2She has fallen, she will not rise again-- The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up. |
| 3For thus says the Lord GOD: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.” | 3For thus says the Lord GOD, "The city which goes forth a thousand strong Will have a hundred left, And the one which goes forth a hundred strong Will have ten left to the house of Israel." |
| 4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; | 4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live. |
| 5but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.” | 5"But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to trouble. |
| 6Seek 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, | 6"Seek the LORD that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel, |
| 7O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth! | 7For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth." |
| 8He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and 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; | 8He who made the Pleiades and Orion And changes deep darkness into morning, Who also darkens 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. |
| 9who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress. | 9It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress. |
| 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth. | 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks with integrity. |
| 11Therefore because you trample on the poor and 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. | 11Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine. |
| 12For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. | 12For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who distress the righteous and accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate. |
| 13Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time. | 13Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time. |
| 14Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. | 14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said! |
| 15Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. | 15Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. |
| 16Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: “In all the squares there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They shall call the farmers to mourning and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation, | 16Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the Lord, "There is wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, 'Alas! Alas!' They also call the farmer to mourning And professional mourners to lamentation. |
| 17and in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD. | 17"And in all the vineyards there is wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD. |
| 18Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light, | 18Alas, you who are longing for the day of the LORD, For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you? It will be darkness and not light; |
| 19as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. | 19As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him. |
| 20Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? | 20Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it? |
| 21“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. | 21"I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. |
| 22Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. | 22"Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. |
| 23Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. | 23"Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. |
| 24But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. | 24"But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. |
| 25“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? | 25"Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? |
| 26You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, | 26"You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. |
| 27and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. | 27"Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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