| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel: | 1Hear this word, Israel, this lament I take up concerning you: |
| 2She has fallen, she will not rise again-- The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up. | 2"Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift 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." | 3This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Israel: "Your city that marches out a thousand strong will have only a hundred left; your town that marches out a hundred strong will have only ten left." |
| 4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live. | 4This is what the LORD says to 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, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced 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 the LORD and live, or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire; it will devour them, and Bethel will have no one to quench it. |
| 7For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth." | 7There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast 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. | 8He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land-- the LORD is his name. |
| 9It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress. | 9With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin. |
| 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks with integrity. | 10There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth. |
| 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. | 11You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. |
| 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 how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. |
| 13Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time. | 13Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times 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, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. |
| 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, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on 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 this is what the Lord, the LORD God Almighty, says: "There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square. The farmers will be summoned to weep and the 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 through your midst," says the LORD. |
| 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! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, 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 as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on 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? | 20Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light-- pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness? |
| 21"I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. | 21"I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. |
| 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 though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. |
| 23"Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. | 23Away with 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 roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! |
| 25"Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? | 25"Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel? |
| 26"You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. | 26You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god -- which you made for yourselves. |
| 27"Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. | 27Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is God Almighty. |
| 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 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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