| New American Standard Bible 1995 | International Standard Version |
| 1Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel: | 1"Hear this accusation that I am bringing against you: 'A dirge, house of Israel: |
| 2She has fallen, she will not rise again-- The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up. | 2Fallen is Israel the virgin—never to rise again! She is abandoned on her own land, with no one to raise her up.' |
| 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." | 3"For this is what the Lord GOD says: 'The city that is sending out a thousand will have a hundred left; The city that is sending out a hundred will have ten left of the house of Israel.'" |
| 4For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live. | 4"For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: 'Seek me and live, |
| 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. | 5but don't seek Bethel. Don't go to Gilgal, and don't pass over to Beer-sheba. Because Gilgal will surely go into captivity, and Bethel will come to nothing. |
| 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, | 6Seek the LORD and live! Otherwise, he may break out like a fire in the house of Joseph and devour Bethel, and there will be no one to extinguish it. |
| 7For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth." | 7Those of you who are making justice taste bitter, and who have thrown righteousness to the ground: |
| 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. | 8Seek the one who fashions the Pleiades and Orion, who turns the deep darkness into morning, who darkens day into night, who calls out to the waters of the sea, pouring them out onto the surface of the earth— the LORD is his name. |
| 9It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress. | 9It is he who is raining sudden destruction upon the strong like lightning, so that ruin comes upon the fortress. |
| 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks with integrity. | 10They have hated those who are presenting their cases in court, detesting the one who speaks truthfully. |
| 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. | 11Therefore, since you trample the poor continuously, taxing his grain, building houses of stone in which you won't live and planting fine vineyards from which you won't drink— |
| 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. | 12and because I know that your transgressions are many, and your sins are numerous as you oppose the righteous, taking bribes as a ransom, and turning away the poor in court — |
| 13Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time. | 13therefore the prudent person remains silent at such a time, for the time is evil. |
| 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! | 14Pursue good and not evil, so that you may live, and this is what will happen: The LORD God of the Heavenly Armies will be with you, as you have been claiming. |
| 15Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. | 15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in court— perhaps the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, will be gracious to the survivors of Joseph.'" |
| 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. | 16Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, the Lord, says: 'There will be dirges in all of the streets; and in all of the highways they will cry out in anguish. They will call the farmer to mourning and those who lament to grieve. |
| 17"And in all the vineyards there is wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD. | 17And in all of the vineyards there will be mourning when I pass through your midst,' says the LORD." |
| 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; | 18"Woe to those who are craving the Day of the LORD! How is it to your benefit, this Day of the LORD? It's a day of darkness to you, and not light. |
| 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. | 19It will be like a man who runs from a lion, only to encounter a bear; or who comes home, leans his hand against a wall, and a serpent bites him! |
| 20Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it? | 20Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness, and not light— pitch black at that, without a ray of sunshine?" |
| 21"I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. | 21"I hate—I despise—your festival days, and your solemn convocations stink. |
| 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. | 22And if you send up burnt offerings to me as well as your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I consider your peace offerings of fattened cattle. |
| 23"Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. | 23Spare me your noisy singing— I will not listen to your musical instruments. |
| 24"But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. | 24"But let justice roll on like many waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing river. |
| 25"Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? | 25"Was it to me that you brought offerings and gifts in the desert for 40 years, house of Israel? |
| 26"You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. | 26And you carried the tent of your king — and Saturn, your star god idols that you crafted for yourselves. |
| 27"Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. | 27So I will cause you to be taken captive beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is God of the Heavenly Armies. |
| 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 | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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