A Lament for Israel
1 Hear this word which I atake up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel:
2 The virgin of Israel has fallen;
She will rise no more.
She lies forsaken on her land;
There is no one to raise her up.
She will rise no more.
She lies forsaken on her land;
There is no one to raise her up.
3 For 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.”
“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.”
A Call to Repentance
5 But do not seek aBethel,
Nor enter Gilgal,
Nor pass over to bBeersheba;
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And cBethel shall come to nothing.
Nor enter Gilgal,
Nor pass over to bBeersheba;
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And cBethel shall come to nothing.
6 aSeek 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—
Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
And devour it,
With no one to quench it in Bethel—
8 He made the aPleiades and Orion;
He turns the shadow of death into morning
bAnd makes the day dark as night;
He ccalls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the face of the earth;
dThe Lord is His name.
He turns the shadow of death into morning
bAnd makes the day dark as night;
He ccalls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the face of the earth;
dThe Lord is His name.
11 aTherefore, because you1 tread down the poor
And take grain1 taxes from him,
Though byou have built houses of hewn stone,
Yet you shall not dwell in them;
You have planted1 pleasant vineyards,
But you shall not drink wine from them.
And take grain1 taxes from him,
Though byou have built houses of hewn stone,
Yet you shall not dwell in them;
You have planted1 pleasant vineyards,
But you shall not drink wine from them.
12 For I aknow your manifold transgressions
And your mighty sins:
bAfflicting the just and taking bribes;
cDiverting the poor from justice at the gate.
And your mighty sins:
bAfflicting the just and taking bribes;
cDiverting the poor from justice at the gate.
14 Seek good and not evil,
That you may live;
So the Lord God of hosts will be with you,
aAs you have spoken.
That you may live;
So the Lord God of hosts will be with you,
aAs you have spoken.
15 aHate evil, love good;
Establish justice in the gate.
bIt may be that the Lord God of hosts
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
Establish justice in the gate.
bIt may be that the Lord God of hosts
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
The Day of the Lord
16 Therefore 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,
aAnd skillful lamenters to wailing.
“There shall be wailing in all streets,
And they shall say in all the highways,
‘Alas! Alas!’
They shall call the farmer to mourning,
aAnd skillful lamenters to wailing.
18 aWoe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
For what good is bthe day of the Lord to you?
It will be darkness, and not light.
For what good is bthe day of the Lord to you?
It will be darkness, and not light.
19 It will be aas 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!
And a bear met him!
Or as though he went into the house,
Leaned his hand on the wall,
And a serpent bit him!
20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light?
Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?
Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?
22 aThough you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
I will not accept them,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs,
For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.
For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.
26 You also carried1 Sikkuth ayour king
And Chiun, your idols,
The star of your gods,
Which you made for yourselves.
And Chiun, your idols,
The star of your gods,
Which you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore I will send you into captivity abeyond Damascus,”
Says the Lord, bwhose name is the God of hosts.
Says the Lord, bwhose name is the God of hosts.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Commentaries:
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