1Hear this word that I am lifting up over you as a lament, house of Israel:
2She has fallen, she will not rise again — virgin Israel; she is forsaken upon her ground, with none to raise her up.
3For thus says the Lord Yahweh: The city that goes out a thousand strong will have a hundred left, and the one that goes out a hundred strong will have ten left, for the house of Israel.
4For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel: Seek me and live!
5But do not seek Bethel, and do not go to Gilgal, and do not cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall become nothing.
6Seek Yahweh and live, lest he break out like fire upon the house of Joseph, and it consume with none to quench it for Bethel.
7Those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness down to the ground —
8the one who makes the Pleiades and Orion, who turns deep darkness into morning and darkens day into night, who calls to the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the earth — Yahweh is his name!
9who flashes destruction upon the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress.
10They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks with integrity.
11Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take from him a levy of grain, though you have built houses of hewn stone, you will not dwell in them; though you have planted delightful vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
12For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are mighty — you who harass the righteous, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the gate.
13Therefore the prudent one keeps silent at such a time, for it is an evil time.
14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so may Yahweh, God of hosts, be with you, just as you have said.
15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; perhaps Yahweh, God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
16Therefore thus says Yahweh, God of hosts, the Lord: In all the squares there will be wailing, and in all the streets they will say, ‘Alas! Alas!’ And they will summon the farmer to mourning and to wailing those skilled in lament.
17And in all the vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst, says Yahweh.
18Woe to those who long for the day of Yahweh! Why would you want it? The day of Yahweh is darkness and not light.
19It will be as when a man flees from a lion and a bear meets him; or he goes into the house and rests his hand on the wall, and a snake bites him.
20Is not the day of Yahweh darkness and not light, gloom with no brightness in it?
21I hate, I reject your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22Even if you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, and the peace offering of your fattened beasts I will not regard.
23Remove from me the din of your songs; the melody of your harps I will not hear.
24But let justice roll on like the waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25Did you bring me sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel?
26You have carried Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun your images, the star of your gods, which you made for yourselves.
27So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus, says Yahweh — God of hosts is his name.
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