Chapter 5

Hear³ ye this word which I take up⁶ against you, [even] a lamentation, O house of Israel.

The virgin of Israel is fallen;¹ she shall no more⁵⁵ rise:² she is forsaken⁸ upon her land; [there is] none to raise her up.⁵⁶

For thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; The city that went out⁶ [by] a thousand shall leave⁵⁵ an hundred, and that which went forth⁶ [by] an hundred shall leave⁵⁵ ten, to the house of Israel.

For thus saith¹ the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek³ ye me, and ye shall live:³

But seek⁴ not Bethel, nor enter⁴ into Gilgal, and pass⁴ not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely² go into captivity,⁴ and Bethel shall come to nought.

Seek³ the LORD, and ye shall live;³ lest he break out⁴ like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour¹ [it], and [there be] none to quench¹⁸ [it] in Bethel.

Ye who turn⁶ judgment to wormwood, and leave off⁵² righteousness in the earth,

[Seek him] that maketh⁶ the seven stars and Orion, and turneth⁶ the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark⁵² with night: that calleth⁶ for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out⁴ upon the face of the earth: The LORD [is] his name:

That strengtheneth⁵⁶ the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come⁴ against the fortress.

They hate¹ him that rebuketh⁵⁶ in the gate, and they abhor¹⁷ him that speaketh⁶ uprightly.

Forasmuch therefore as your treading²³ [is] upon the poor, and ye take⁴ from him burdens of wheat: ye have built¹ houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell⁴ in them; ye have planted¹ pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink⁴ wine of them.

For I know¹ your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict⁶ the just, they take⁶ a bribe, and they turn aside⁵² the poor in the gate [from their right].

Therefore the prudent⁵⁶ shall keep silence⁴ in that time; for it [is] an evil time.

Seek³ good, and not evil, that ye may live:⁴ and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.¹

Hate³ the evil, and love³ the good, and establish⁵⁴ judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious⁴ unto the remnant of Joseph.

Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith¹ thus; Wailing [shall be] in all streets; and they shall say⁴ in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call¹ the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful⁶ of lamentation to wailing.

And in all vineyards [shall be] wailing: for I will pass⁴ through thee, saith¹ the LORD.

Woe unto you that desire¹⁰² the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light.

As if a man did flee⁴ from a lion, and a bear met¹ him; or went¹ into the house, and leaned¹ his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit¹ him.

[Shall] not the day of the LORD [be] darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

I hate,¹ I despise¹ your feast days, and I will not smell⁵⁵ in your solemn assemblies.

Though ye offer⁵⁵ me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept⁴ [them]: neither will I regard⁵⁵ the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

Take thou away⁵⁴ from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear⁴ the melody of thy viols.

But let judgment run down¹¹ as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Have ye offered⁵² unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

But ye have borne¹ the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made¹ to yourselves.

Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity⁵² beyond Damascus, saith¹ the LORD, whose name [is] The God of hosts.