1
Hear this word which I
take up for you as a
dirge, O
house of
Israel:
aef{n yik{n'a r,v]a h,Z;h r'b'D;h -t,a .W[.miv ? lea'r.fIy tyeB h'nyiq ~,kyel][
2
She has
fallen, she will not
rise again - The
virgin Israel. She lies
neglected on her
land;
There is
none to
raise her up.
lea'r.fIy t;l.Wt.B ~.Wq @yisw{t -a{l h'l.p'n ? H'myiq.m !yea H't'm.d;a -l;[ h'v.Jin
3
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."
taec{Y;h ryi['h hiwh.y y'n{d]a r;m'a h{k yiK ? ryia.v;T h'aem taecw{Y;h.w h'aem ryia.v;T @,l,a ? lea'r.fIy tyeb.l h'r'f][
4
For
thus says the
LORD to the
house of
Israel,
"Seek Me that you may
live.
yin.Wv.riD lea'r.fIy tyeb.l h'wh.y r;m'a h{k yiK ? .Wy.xiw
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.
.Wa{b't a{l l'G.liG;h.w lea -tyeB .Wv.r.diT -l;a.w ? h{l'G l'G.liG;h yiK .Wr{b][;t a{l [;b,v rea.b.W ? !,w'a.l h,y.hIy lea -tyeb.W h,l.gIy
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,
x;l.cIy -n,P .Wy.xiw h'wh.y -t,a .Wv.riD ? lea -tyeb.l h,B;k.m -nyea.w h'l.k'a.w @esw{y tyeB vea'K
7
For those who
turn justice into
wormwood And
cast righteousness down to the
earth."
.WxyiNih #,r'a'l h'q'd.c.W j'P.vim h'n][;l.l ~yik.p{h;h
8
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.
t,w'm.l;c r,q{B;l .$ep{h.w lyis.k.W h'myik hef{[ ? ~'Y;h -yem.l aerw{Q;h .$yiv.x,h h'l.y;l ~w{y.w ? w{m.v h'wh.y #,r'a'h yen.P -l;[ ~ek.P.viY;w
9
It is He who
flashes forth with
destruction upon the
strong, So that
destruction comes upon the
fortress.
aw{b'y r'c.bim -l;[ d{v.w z'[ -l;[ d{v gyil.b;M;h
10
They
hate him who
reproves in the
gate, And they
abhor him who
speaks with
integrity.
.Wbe['t.y ~yim'T reb{d.w ;xyikw{m r;[;V;b .Wa.n'f
11
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.
-t;a.f;m.W l'D -l;[ ~,k.s;vw{B !;[;y !ek'l ? -a{l.w ~,tyin.B tyiz'g yeT'B .WN,Mim .Wx.qiT r;B ? ~'nyey -t,a .WT.vit a{l.w ~,T.[;j.n d,m,x -yem.r;K ~'b .Wb.vet
12
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.
~,kyeta{J;x ~yimUc][;w ~,kye[.viP ~yiB;r yiT.[;d'y yiK ? r;[;V;B ~yinw{y.b,a.w r,p{k yex.q{l qyiD;c yer.r{c ? .WJih
13
Therefore at
such a
time the
prudent person
keeps silent, for it is an
evil time.
h'['r te[ yiK ~{DIy ayih;h te['B lyiK.f;M;h !ek'l ? ayih
14
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!
!ek -yihyiw .Wy.xiT !;[;m.l ['r -l;a.w bw{j -.Wv.riD ? ~,T.r;m]a r,v]a;K ~,k.Tia tw{a'b.c -yeh{l/a h'wh.y
15
Hate evil,
love good, And
establish justice in the
gate!
Perhaps the
LORD God of
hosts May be
gracious to the
remnant of
Joseph.
r;[;V;b .WgyiC;h.w bw{j .Wb/h,a.w ['r -.Wa.nif ? tw{a'b.c -yeh{l/a h'wh.y !;n/x,y y;l.Wa j'P.vim ? @esw{y tyirea.v
16
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.
y'n{d]a tw{a'b.c yeh{l/a h'wh.y r;m'a -h{K !ek'l ? .Wr.ma{y tw{c.Wx -l'k.b.W deP.sim tw{b{x.r -l'k.B ? deP.sim.W l,bea -l,a r'Kia .Wa.r'q.w w{h<01930!> -w{h ? yih,n ye[.dw{y -l,a
17
"And in
all the
vineyards there is
wailing,
Because I will
pass through the
midst of you,"
says the
LORD.
'$.B.riq.B r{b/[,a -yiK deP.sim ~yim'r.K -l'k.b.W ? h'wh.y r;m'a
18
Alas, you who are
longing for the
day of the
LORD, For
what purpose will the
day of the
LORD be to you? It will be
darkness and not
light;
h,Z -h'M'l h'wh.y<03068!> ~w{y -t,a ~yi.W;a.tiM;h yw{h ? rw{a -a{l.w .$,v{x -a.Wh h'wh.y ~w{y ~,k'l
19
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.
b{D;h w{['g.p.W yir]a'h yen.Pim vyia s.Wn'y r,v]a;K ? w{k'v.n.W ryiQ;h -l;[ w{d'y .$;m's.w tIy;B;h a'b.W ? v'x'N;h
20
Will not the
day of the
LORD be
darkness instead of
light, Even
gloom with
no brightness in it?
lep'a.w rw{a -a{l.w h'wh.y ~w{y .$,v{x -a{l]h ? w{l H;g{n -a{l.w
21
"I
hate, I
reject your
festivals,
Nor do I
delight in your
solemn assemblies.
~,kyet{r.C;[.B ;xyir'a a{l.w ~,kyeG;x yiT.s;a'm yitaen'f
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.
a{l ~,kyet{x.nim.W tw{l{[ yil -.Wl][;T -mia yiK ? jyiB;a a{l ~,kyeayir.m ~,l,v.w h,c.r,a
23
"Take away from Me the
noise of your
songs; I will not even
listen to the
sound of your
harps.
'$y,l'b.n t;r.miz.w '$y,riv !w{m]h y;l'[em res'h ? ['m.v,a a{l
24
"But let
justice roll down like
waters And
righteousness like an
ever-flowing stream.
!'tyea l;x;n.K h'q'd.c.W j'P.vim ~Iy;M;K l;GIy.w
25
"Did you
present Me with
sacrifices and grain
offerings in the
wilderness for
forty years, O
house of
Israel?
~yi['B.r;a r'B.diM;b yil -m,T.v;Gih h'x.nim.W ~yix'b.Z;h ? lea'r.fIy tyeB h'n'v
26
"You also
carried along
Sikkuth your
king and
Kiyyun, your
images, the
star of your
gods which you
made for yourselves.
~,kyem.l;c !.WYiK tea.w ~,k.K.l;m t.WKis tea ~,ta'f.n.W ? ~,k'l ~,tyif][ r,v]a ~,kyeh{l/a b;kw{K
27
"Therefore, I will make you
go into
exile beyond * Damascus,"
says the
LORD, whose
name is the
God of
hosts.
h'wh.y r;m'a q,f'M;d.l h'a.l'hem ~,k.t,a yityel.gih.w ? w{m.v tw{a'b.c -yeh{l/a