A Lament for Israel
1Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
2The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
3For 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.
A Call to Repentance
(Joel 1:13-20; Zephaniah 2:1-3; Luke 13:1-5)
4For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
5But 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.
6Seek 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.
7Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
8Seek 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:
9That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
10They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
11Forasmuch 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.
12For 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.
13Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
14Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye 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 unto the remnant of Joseph.
The Coming Judgment
16Therefore 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.
17And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.
18Woe 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.
19As 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.
20Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
22Though 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.
23Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
25Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. 27Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
A Lamentation against Israel
1 Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.
2 “The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up.”
3 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”
A Call to Repentance
(Joel 1:13–20; Zephaniah 2:1–3; Luke 13:1–5)
4 For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;
5 but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.
6 Seek Yahweh, and you will live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.
7 You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:
8 seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name,
9 who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.
10 They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.
11 Forasmuch therefore as you trample on the poor, and take taxes from him of wheat: You have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins—you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.
13 Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.
15 Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
Woe to Rebellious Israel
(Acts 7:39–43)
16 Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, the Lord: “Wailing will be in all the broad ways; and they will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ and they will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.
17 In all vineyards there will be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of you,” says Yahweh.
18 “Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.
20 Won’t the day of Yahweh be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.
22 Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
25 “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel? 26 You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of Armies.
A Lamentation against Israel
1 Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lamentation I take up against you:
2 “Fallen is Virgin Israel,
never to rise again.
She lies abandoned on her land,
with no one to raise her up.”
3 This is what the Lord GOD says:
“The city that marches out a thousand strong
will only see a hundred return,
and the one that marches out a hundred strong
will have but ten left in the house of Israel.”
A Call to Repentance
(Joel 1:13–20; Zephaniah 2:1–3; Luke 13:1–5)
4 For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel:
“Seek Me and live!
5 Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal;
do not journey to Beersheba,
for Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will come to nothing. a
6 Seek the LORD and live,
or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph;
it will devour everything,
with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.
7 There are those who turn justice into wormwood
and cast righteousness to the ground.
8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion,
who turns darkness into dawn
and darkens day into night,
who summons the waters of the sea
and pours them over the face of the earth—
the LORD is His name—
9 He flashes destruction on the strong,
so that fury comes upon the stronghold.
10 There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate
and despise him who speaks with integrity.
11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor
and exact from him a tax of grain,
you will never live
in the stone houses you have built;
you will never drink the wine
from the lush vineyards you have planted.
12 For I know that your transgressions are many
and your sins are numerous.
You oppress the righteous by taking bribes;
you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.
13 Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times,
for the days are evil.
14 Seek good, not evil,
so that you may live.
And the LORD, the God of Hosts,
will be with you, as you have claimed.
15 Hate evil and love good;
establish justice in the gate.
Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
Woe to Rebellious Israel
(Acts 7:39–43)
16 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says:
“There will be wailing in all the public squares
and cries of ‘Alas! Alas!’ in all the streets.
The farmer will be summoned to mourn,
and the mourners to wail.
17 There will be wailing in all the vineyards,
for I will pass through your midst,”
says the LORD.
18 Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD!
What will the Day of the LORD be for you?
It will be darkness and not light.
19 It will be like a man who flees from a lion,
only to encounter a bear,
or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall,
only to be bitten by a snake.
20 Will not the Day of the LORD
be darkness and not light,
even gloom with no brightness in it?
21 “I hate, I despise your feasts!
I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
for your peace offerings of fattened cattle
I will have no regard.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like a river,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25 Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
26 You have taken along Sakkuth your king
and Kaiwan your star god, b
the idols you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” c
says the LORD, whose name is the God of Hosts.
Footnotes:
5 a Hebrew to Aven , a reference to Beth-aven, a derogatory term for Bethel; see Hosea 4:15.
26 b LXX You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan
27 c Cited in Acts 7:42–43
A Lament for Israel
1Hear this word that I am bearing to you, A lamentation, O house of Israel:
2'Fallen, not again to rise, hath the virgin of Israel, Left on her land -- she hath no raiser up.'
3For thus said the Lord Jehovah: The city that is going out a thousand, Doth leave an hundred, And that which is going out an hundred, Doth leave ten to the house of Israel.
A Call to Repentance
(Joel 1:13-20; Zephaniah 2:1-3; Luke 13:1-5)
4For thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live,
5And seek not Beth-El, and Gilgal enter not, And Beer-Sheba pass not through, For Gilgal doth utterly remove, And Beth-El doth become vanity.
6Seek ye Jehovah, and live, Lest He prosper as fire against the house of Joseph, And it hath consumed, And there is no quencher for Beth-El.
7Ye who are turning to wormwood judgment, And righteousness to the earth have put down,
8The maker of Kimah and Kesil, And the turner to morning of death-shade, And day as night He hath made dark, Who is calling to the waters of the sea, And poureth them on the face of the earth, Jehovah is His name;
9Who is brightening up the spoiled against the strong, And the spoiled against a fortress cometh.
10They have hated a reprover in the gate, And a plain speaker they abominate.
11Therefore, because of your trampling on the poor, And the tribute of corn ye take from him, Houses of hewn work ye have built, And ye do not dwell in them, Desirable vineyards ye have planted, And ye do not drink their wine.
12For I have known -- many are your transgressions, And mighty your sins, Adversaries of the righteous, taking ransoms, And the needy in the gate ye turned aside.
13Therefore is the wise at that time silent, For an evil time it is.
14Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live, And it is so; Jehovah, God of Hosts, is with you, as ye said.
15Hate evil, and love good, And set up judgment in the gate, It may be Jehovah, God of Hosts, doth pity the remnant of Joseph.
The Coming Judgment
16Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, the Lord, In all broad places is lamentation, And in all out-places they say, 'Alas, alas,' And called the husbandman to mourning, And to lamentation the skilful of wailing.
17And in all vineyards is lamentation, For I pass into thy midst, said Jehovah.
18Ho, ye who are desiring the day of Jehovah, Why is this to you -- the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light,
19As when one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him.
20Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?
21I have hated -- I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints.
22For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your presents to ascend to Me, I am not pleased, And the peace-offering of your fatlings I behold not.
23Turn aside from Me the noise of thy songs, Yea, the praise of thy psaltery I hear not.
24And roll on as waters doth judgment, And righteousness as a perennial stream.
25Sacrifices and offering did ye bring nigh to Me, In a wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26And ye bare Succoth your king, and Chiun your images, The star of your god, that ye made for yourselves. 27And I removed you beyond Damascus, Said Jehovah, God of Hosts is His name.
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