| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Listen to this funeral song I am ready to sing about you, family of Israel: | 1Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel: |
| 2"The virgin Israel has fallen down and will not get up again. She is abandoned on her own land with no one to help her get up." | 2She has fallen, she will not rise again-- The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up. |
| 3The sovereign LORD says this: "The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers will have only a hundred left; the town that marches out with a hundred soldiers will have only ten left for the family of Israel." | 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." |
| 4The LORD says this to the family of Israel: "Seek me so you can live! | 4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live. |
| 5Do not seek Bethel! Do not visit Gilgal! Do not journey down to Beer Sheba! For the people of Gilgal will certainly be carried into exile; and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds." | 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. |
| 6Seek the LORD so you can live! Otherwise he will break out like fire against Joseph's family; the fire will consume and no one will be able to quench it and save Bethel. | 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, |
| 7The Israelites turn justice into bitterness; they throw what is fair and right to the ground. | 7For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth." |
| 8(But there is one who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion; he can turn the darkness into morning and daylight into night. He summons the water of the seas and pours it out on the earth's surface. The LORD is his name! | 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. |
| 9He flashes destruction down upon the strong so that destruction overwhelms the fortified places.) | 9It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress. |
| 10The Israelites hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; they despise anyone who speaks honestly. | 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks with integrity. |
| 11Therefore, because you make the poor pay taxes on their crops and exact a grain tax from them, you will not live in the houses you built with chiseled stone, nor will you drink the wine from the fine vineyards you planted. | 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. |
| 12Certainly I am aware of your many rebellious acts and your numerous sins. You torment the innocent, you take bribes, and you deny justice to the needy at the city gate. | 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. |
| 13For this reason whoever is smart keeps quiet in such a time, for it is an evil time. | 13Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time. |
| 14Seek good and not evil so you can live! Then the LORD, the God who commands armies, just might be with you, as you claim he is. | 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! |
| 15Hate what is wrong, love what is right! Promote justice at the city gate! Maybe the LORD, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on those who are left from Joseph. | 15Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. |
| 16Because of Israel's sins this is what the LORD, the God who commands armies, the sovereign One, says: "In all the squares there will be wailing, in all the streets they will mourn the dead. They will tell the field workers to lament and the professional mourners to wail. | 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. |
| 17In all the vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst," says the LORD. | 17"And in all the vineyards there is wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD. |
| 18Woe to those who wish for the day of the LORD! Why do you want the LORD's day of judgment to come? It will bring darkness, not light. | 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; |
| 19Disaster will be inescapable, as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear, then escaped into a house, leaned his hand against the wall, and was bitten by a poisonous snake. | 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. |
| 20Don't you realize the LORD's day of judgment will bring darkness, not light--gloomy blackness, not bright light? | 20Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it? |
| 21"I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies! | 21"I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. |
| 22Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. | 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. |
| 23Take away from me your noisy songs; I don't want to hear the music of your stringed instruments. | 23"Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. |
| 24Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up. | 24"But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. |
| 25You did not bring me sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family of Israel. | 25"Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? |
| 26You will pick up your images of Sikkuth, your king, and Kiyyun, your star god, which you made for yourselves, | 26"You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. |
| 27and I will drive you into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD. He is called the God who commands armies! | 27"Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | 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 |
|
