| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Hear this word which I take up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel: | 1Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: |
| 2The virgin of Israel has fallen; She will rise no more. She lies forsaken on her land; There is no one to raise her up. | 2“Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.” |
| 3For thus says the Lord GOD: “The city that goes out by a thousand Shall have a hundred left, And that which goes out by a hundred Shall have ten left to the house of Israel.” | 3For 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.” |
| 4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live; | 4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; |
| 5But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing. | 5but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.” |
| 6Seek the LORD and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel— | 6Seek the LORD and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, |
| 7You who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!” | 7O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth! |
| 8He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The LORD is His name. | 8He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the 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 rains ruin upon the strong, So that fury comes upon the fortress. | 9who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress. |
| 10They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly. | 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth. |
| 11Therefore, because you tread down the poor And take grain taxes from him, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, Yet you shall not dwell in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink wine from them. | 11Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. |
| 12For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate. | 12For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. |
| 13Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time. | 13Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time. |
| 14Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken. | 14Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. |
| 15Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. | 15Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. |
| 16Therefore the LORD God of hosts, the Lord, says this: “There shall be wailing in all streets, And they shall say in all the highways, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They shall call the farmer to mourning, And skillful lamenters to wailing. | 16Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: “In all the squares there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They shall call the farmers to mourning and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation, |
| 17In all vineyards there shall be wailing, For I will pass through you,” Says the LORD. | 17and in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD. |
| 18Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness, and not light. | 18Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light, |
| 19It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! | 19as 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. |
| 20Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? | 20Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? |
| 21“I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. | 21“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. |
| 22Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. | 22Even 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. |
| 23Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. | 23Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. |
| 24But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream. | 24But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. |
| 25“Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? | 25“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? |
| 26You also carried Sikkuth your king And Chiun, your idols, The star of your gods, Which you made for yourselves. | 26You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, |
| 27Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus,” Says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. | 27and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
|
