| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel: | 1Listen to this message that I am singing for you, a lament, house of Israel: |
| 2She has fallen, she will not rise again-- The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up. | 2She has fallen; Virgin Israel will never rise again. She lies abandoned on her land, with no one to raise her up. |
| 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." | 3For the Lord GOD says: The city that marches out a thousand strong will have only a hundred left, and the one that marches out a hundred strong will have only ten left in the house of Israel. |
| 4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live. | 4For the LORD says to the house of Israel: Seek Me and live! |
| 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. | 5Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal or journey to Beer-sheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing. |
| 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, | 6Seek Yahweh and live, or He will spread like fire throughout the house of Joseph; it will consume everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it. |
| 7For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth." | 7Those who turn justice into wormwood throw righteousness to the ground. |
| 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. | 8The 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 over the face of the earth-- Yahweh is His name. |
| 9It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress. | 9He brings destruction on the strong, and it falls on the stronghold. |
| 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks with integrity. | 10They hate the one who convicts the guilty at the city gate and despise the one who speaks with integrity. |
| 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. | 11Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact a grain tax from him, you will never live in the houses of cut stone you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. |
| 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. | 12For I know your crimes are many and your sins innumerable. They oppress the righteous, take a bribe, and deprive the poor of justice at the gates. |
| 13Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time. | 13Therefore, the wise person will keep silent at such a time, for the days are evil. |
| 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! | 14Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have claimed. |
| 15Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. | 15Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. |
| 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. | 16Therefore Yahweh, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says: There will be wailing in all the public squares; they will cry out in anguish in all the streets. The farmer will be called on to mourn, and professional mourners to wail. |
| 17"And in all the vineyards there is wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD. | 17There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass among you. The LORD has spoken. |
| 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; | 18Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light. |
| 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. | 19It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him. |
| 20Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it? | 20Won't the Day of the LORD be darkness rather than light, even gloom without any brightness in it? |
| 21"I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. | 21I hate, I despise your feasts! I can't stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. |
| 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. | 22Even if you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; I will have no regard for your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle. |
| 23"Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. | 23Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. |
| 24"But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. | 24But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream." |
| 25"Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? | 25House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness? |
| 26"You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. | 26But you have taken up Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, images you have made for yourselves. |
| 27"Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. | 27So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken. |
| 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 | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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