1 Hear this word that I *Ezek. 19:1take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:

2 "Fallen, no more to rise,

is *Lam. 2:1;[Isa. 47:1]the virgin Israel;

forsaken on her land,

with none to raise her up."

3 For 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."

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

*2 Chr. 15:2;Isa. 55:6;Zeph. 2:3"Seek me and live;

5 but do not seek *See ch. 4:4Bethel,

and do not enter into *See ch. 4:4Gilgal

or cross over to *ch. 8:14Beersheba;

for *See ch. 4:4Gilgal shall surely go into exile,

and *See ch. 4:4Bethel shall come to nothing."

6 *[See ver. 4above] Seek the Lord and live,

*[Isa. 9:18,19] lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,

and it devour, with none to quench it for *[See ver. 5above]Bethel,

7 O *[ch. 6:12]you who turn justice to wormwood*5:7 Or to bitter fruit

and cast down righteousness to the earth!

8 He who made the *Job 9:9;38:31Pleiades and Orion,

and turns deep darkness into the morning

and *Ps. 104:20;[ch. 4:13;8:9] darkens the day into night,

who *ch. 9:6;[Gen. 6:17;Ps. 104:6,7] calls for the waters of the sea

*ch. 9:6;[Gen. 6:17;Ps. 104:6,7] and pours them out on the surface of the earth,

*See ch. 4:13the Lord is his name;

9 *[Jer. 50:32]who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,

so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

10 *Isa. 29:21;[Prov. 15:5,10] They hate him who reproves *See Ruth 4:1in the gate,

and they *[1 Kgs. 22:8]abhor him who speaks the truth.

11 Therefore because you *[James 2:6] trample on*5:11 Or you tax the poor

and you exact taxes of grain from him,

*Deut. 28:30,39;Mic. 6:15;Zeph. 1:13you have built houses of hewn stone,

but you shall not dwell in them;

*Deut. 28:30,39;Mic. 6:15;Zeph. 1:13you have planted pleasant vineyards,

but you shall not drink their wine.

12 For I know how many are your transgressions

and how great are your sins—

you who afflict the righteous, who *1 Sam. 8:3;12:3;[Ps. 26:10] take a bribe,

and *ch. 2:7;Isa. 29:21turn aside the needy *[See ver. 10above]in the gate.

13 Therefore he who is prudent will *[Eccles. 3:7] keep silent in such a time,

*Mic. 2:3for it is an evil time.

14 *[Deut. 30:15,19;Zeph. 2:3] Seek good, and not evil,

that you may live;

and so the Lord, *ch. 3:13the God of hosts, will be with you,

as you have said.

15 *Ps. 97:10;Rom. 12:9Hate evil, and love good,

and establish justice *[See ver. 10above] in the gate;

*Joel 2:14;[Ex. 32:30]it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus says the Lord, *[See ver. 14above] the God of hosts, the Lord:

"In all the squares *[Jer. 9:17,18]there shall be wailing,

and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’

They shall call the farmers to mourning

and *[Jer. 9:17,18]to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,

17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,

for *Ex. 12:12I will pass through your midst,"

says the Lord.

18 Woe to you who desire *See Joel 1:15the day of the Lord!

Why would you have the day of the Lord?

*See Joel 2:1,2It is darkness, and not light,

19 *[Isa. 24:18;Jer. 48:44]as 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.

20 *[See ver. 18above]Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,

and gloom with no brightness in it?

21 *Isa. 1:14;[Jer. 6:20]"I hate, I despise your feasts,

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 *Ps. 51:16,17;Isa. 1:11Even 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.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;

to *[ch. 6:5;8:3;Isa. 5:12]the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 *Cited Acts 7:42,43"Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 *[Deut. 32:17;Ezek. 20:16,24] You *[Isa. 46:7]shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, 27 *2 Kgs. 17:6and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the Lord, whose name is *[See ver. 14above]the God of hosts.