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A Lament and Call to Repentance
Hear this word, Israel, this lament I take up concerning you:
Hear this word, Israel, this lament I take up concerning you:
“Seek Me that You May Live”
Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel:
Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel:
“Fallen is Virgin Israel,
never to rise again,
deserted in her own land,
with no one to lift her up.”
never to rise again,
deserted in her own land,
with no one to lift her up.”
She has fallen, she will not rise again —
The virgin Israel.
She lies neglected on her land;
There is none to raise her up.
The virgin Israel.
She lies neglected on her land;
There is none to raise her up.
This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:
“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
will have only ten left.”
“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
will have only ten left.”
For 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.”
“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.”
This is what the Lord says to Israel:
“Seek me and live;
“Seek me and live;
For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel,
“Seek Me that you may live.
“Seek Me that you may live.
“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.
And do not come to Gilgal,
Nor cross over to Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity
And Bethel will come to trouble.
Seek the Lord and live,
or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;
it will devour them,
and Bethel will have no one to quench it.
or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;
it will devour them,
and Bethel will have no one to quench it.
“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,
Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph,
And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
There are those who turn justice into bitterness
and cast righteousness to the ground.
and cast righteousness to the ground.
For those who turn justice into wormwood
And cast righteousness down to the earth.”
And cast righteousness down to the earth.”
He who made the Pleiades and Orion,
who turns midnight into dawn
and darkens day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land —
the Lord is his name.
who turns midnight into dawn
and darkens day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land —
the Lord is his name.
He 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.
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.
With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold
and brings the fortified city to ruin.
and brings the fortified city to ruin.
It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong,
So that destruction comes upon the fortress.
So that destruction comes upon the fortress.
There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court
and detest the one who tells the truth.
and detest the one who tells the truth.
They hate him who reproves in the gate,
And they abhor him who speaks with integrity.
And they abhor him who speaks with integrity.
You levy a straw tax on the poor
and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,
you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.
and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,
you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.
Therefore 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.
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.
For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
and how great your sins.
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
For 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.
You who distress the righteous and accept bribes
And turn aside the poor in the gate.
Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.
for the times are evil.
Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time.
Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
Seek good and not evil, that you may live;
And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you,
Just as you have said!
And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you,
Just as you have said!
Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph.
maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph.
Hate evil, love good,
And establish justice in the gate!
Perhaps the LORD God of hosts
May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
And establish justice in the gate!
Perhaps the LORD God of hosts
May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:
“There will be wailing in all the streets
and cries of anguish in every public square.
The farmers will be summoned to weep
and the mourners to wail.
“There will be wailing in all the streets
and cries of anguish in every public square.
The farmers will be summoned to weep
and the mourners to wail.
Therefore 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.
“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.
There will be wailing in all the vineyards,
for I will pass through your midst,”says the Lord.
for I will pass through your midst,”says the Lord.
“And in all the vineyards there is wailing,
Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the LORD.
Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the LORD.
The Day of the Lord
Woe to you who long
for the day of the Lord!
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?
That day will be darkness, not light.
Woe to you who long
for the day of the Lord!
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?
That day will be darkness, not light.
Alas, 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;
For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you?
It will be darkness and not light;
It will be as though a man fled from a lion
only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house
and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house
and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
As 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.
And a bear meets him,
Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall
And a snake bites him.
Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light —
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light,
Even gloom with no brightness in it?
Even gloom with no brightness in it?
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me.
your assemblies are a stench to me.
“I hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
“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.
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
“Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
“But let justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
“Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
“Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel?
“You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.