Geneva Study Bible Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. The {a} virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
(a) He so calls them, because they so boasted of themselves, or because they were given to lustfulness and daintiness. For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel. For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave {b} an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
(b) Meaning, that the tenth part would hardly be saved. For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. But seek not Bethel, nor enter into {c} Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
(c) In those places they worshipped new idols, which before served for the true honour of God: therefore he says that these will not save them. Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, Ye who turn {d} judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
(d) Instead of judgment and fairness they execute cruelty and oppression. Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name: Seek him that {e} maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
(e) He describes the power of God; Job 9:9. That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress. That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. They hate him {f} that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
(f) They hate the Prophets, who reprove them in the open assemblies. Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and {g} ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
(g) You take both his money and also his food, with which he should live. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Therefore {h} the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
(h) God will so plague them that they will not allow the godly to open their mouths once to admonish them of their faults. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing. Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the {i} husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.
(i) So that people of all types will have reason to lament because of the great plagues. And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD. And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. Woe unto you that {k} desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
(k) He speaks in this way because the wicked and hypocrites said they were content to endure God's judgments, whereas the godly tremble and fear; Jer 30:7, Joe 2:2,11, Zep 1:15. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, {l} I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
(l) Because you have corrupted my true service, and remain obstinate in your vices; Isa 1:11, Jer 6:10. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. But let judgment run down as {m} waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
(m) Do your duty to God, and to your neighbour, and so you will plentifully feel his grace, if you show your abundant affections according to God's word. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. But ye have borne the tabernacle of your {n} Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
(n) That idol which you esteemed as your king, and carried about as you did Chiun, in which images you thought that there was a certain divinity. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts. The Geneva Bible Translation Notes [1599] Bible Hub |
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