Hearye thiswordwhichItake upagainstyou, even a lamentation, O houseof Israel. The virginof Israelis fallen; she shall nomorerise: she is forsakenuponher land; there is noneto raise her up. Forthussaiththe LordGOD; The citythat went out by a thousandshall leavea hundred, and that which went forth by a hundredshall leaveten, to the houseof Israel. Forthussaiththe LORDunto the houseof Israel, Seekye me, and ye shall live: But seeknotBethel, norenterinto Gilgal, and passnotto Beer-sheba: forGilgalshall surely go into captivity, and Bethelshall cometo naught. Seekthe LORD, and ye shall live; lesthe break outlike firein the houseof Joseph, and devour it , and there be noneto quench it in Bethel. Ye who turnjudgmentto wormwood, and leave offrighteousnessin the earth, Seek him that makeththe seven starsand Orion, and turneththe shadow of deathinto the morning, and maketh the day darkwith night: that callethfor the watersof the sea, and poureth them outuponthe faceof the earth: The LORD is his name: That strengtheneththe spoiledagainstthe strong, so that the spoiledshall comeagainstthe fortress. They hatehim that rebukethin the gate, and they abhorhim that speakethuprightly. Forasmuchthereforeas your treading is uponthe poor, and ye takefromhim burdensof wheat: ye have builthousesof hewn stone, but ye shall notdwellin them; ye have plantedpleasantvineyards, but ye shall notdrinkwineof them. ForI knowyour manifoldtransgressionsand your mightysins: they afflictthe just, they takea bribe, and they turn asidethe poorin the gate from their right . Thereforethe prudentshall keep silencein thattime; forit is an eviltime. Seekgood, and notevil, thatye may live: and sothe LORD, the Godof hosts, shall bewithyou, asye have spoken. Hatethe evil, and lovethe good, and establishjudgmentin the gate: it may bethat the LORDGodof hostswill be graciousunto the remnantof Joseph. Thereforethe LORD, the Godof hosts, the Lord, saiththus; Wailing shall be in allstreets; and they shall sayin allthe highways, Alas! alas! and they shall callthe husbandmantomourning, and such as are skillfulof lamentationtowailing. And in allvineyards shall be wailing: forI will passthroughthee, saiththe LORD. Woeunto you that desirethe dayof the LORD! to what end is itfor you? the dayof the LORD is darkness, and notlight. As ifa mandid fleefroma lion, and a bearmethim; or wentinto the house, and leanedhis handonthe wall, and a serpentbithim. Shall notthe dayof the LORD be darkness, and notlight? even very dark, and nobrightnessin it? I hate, I despiseyour feast days, and I will notsmellin your solemn assemblies. Thoughye offerme burnt offeringsand your meat offerings, I will notaccept them : neitherwill I regardthe peace offeringsof your fat beasts. Take thou awayfromme the noiseof thy songs; for I will nothearthe melodyof thy viols. But let judgmentrun downas waters, and righteousnessas a mightystream. Have ye offeredunto me sacrificesand offeringsin the wildernessfortyyears, O houseof Israel? But ye have bornethe tabernacleof your Molochand Chiunyour images, the starof your god, whichye madeto yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivitybeyondDamascus, saiththe LORD, whose name is The Godof hosts.