1Hear this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.

2The virgin of Israel has fallen; she shall rise no more; she lies forsaken on her land. There is none to raise her up,

3For thus says the Lord GOD, "The city that went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred, and that which went out by a hundred shall have ten left in the house of Israel,"

4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me, and you shall live.

5But do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and do not pass to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

6Seek the LORD and you shall live, lest He break out like a fire on the house of Joseph and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel--

7You who turn judgment to wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth!"

8Seek Him Who created the Pleiades and Orion, and Who turned the deep darkness into the morning, and Him Who darkened the day into night. Seek Him Who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth-- the LORD is His name,

9Who causes destruction to flash out against the strong, and destruction against the fortress.

10They hate him who rebukes in the gate, and they despise him who speaks uprightly.

11Therefore--because of your trampling upon the poor, and because you take tribute of grain from him--though you have built houses of carved stone, you shall not dwell in them; though you have planted desirable vineyards, you shall not drink wine from them,

12For I know your many transgressions and your many sins. They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate.

13Therefore the prudent shall keep silent in that time; for it is an evil time.

14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken.

15Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

16Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Master, says this, "Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, 'Alas! Alas!' And they shall call the tiller to mourning, and those who are skillful in mourning to wailing.

17And there shall be wailing in all vineyards; for I will pass through you," says the LORD.

18Woe to those desiring the day of the LORD! What is this for you? The day of the LORD is darkness and not light;

19As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.

20Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

21"I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will 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 the peace offerings of your fat animals.

23Take the noise of your songs away from Me; for I will not hear the melody of your harps.

24But let judgment roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

25Have you offered sacrifices and offerings to Me forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26But now you have carried the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 27So I will cause you to go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, Whose name is the God of hosts.