1 Seek Me that You May Live Hear this word which I take up for you as afunerallament, O house of Israel:
2 She has fallen; she will not rise again—The virgin Israel.Sheliesabandoned on her land;There is none to raise her up.
3 For thus says Lord Yahweh,“The city which goes forth one thousandstrongWill have one hundred left,And the one which goes forth one hundredstrongWill have ten left to the house of Israel.”
4 For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel,“Seek Me that you may live.
5 “But do not seek Bethel,And do not come to Gilgal,Nor cross over to Beersheba;For Gilgal will certainly go into 5:5 Gilgal sounds like Heb root galah, which means to go into exile exile,And Bethel will become 5:5 Or Beth Aven, cf. Hos 4:15; 5:8; 10:5 evil.
6 “Seek Yahweh that you may live,Lest He come mightily like a fire, 5:6 Or in the house O house of Joseph,And it will consume with none to quenchitfor Bethel,
7 Forthose who overturn justice into wormwoodAnd put righteousness down to the earth.”
8 ¶He who made the Pleiades and OrionAnd overturns the shadow of death into morning, 5:8Lit And He darkened Who also darkens dayintonight,Who calls for the waters of the seaAnd pours them out on the surface of the earth,Yahweh is His name.
9 It is He who flashes forthwithdevastation upon the strongSo that devastation comes upon the fortification.
10 ¶They hate him who reproves in the 5:10 The place where court was held gate,And they abhor him who speakswithintegrity.
11 Therefore because you 5:11Or trample upon impose heavy rent on the poorAnd take a tribute of grain from them,Thoughyou have built houses of cut stone,Yet you will not live in them;You have planted desirable vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.
12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are mighty,Youwho distress the righteousandtake bribesAnd 5:12 Lit they turn turn aside the needy in the 5:12 The place where court was held gate.
13 Therefore at 5:13 Lit that time such a time the one with insight keeps silent, for it is an evil time.
14 ¶Seek good and not evil, in order that you may live;And thus may Yahweh God of hosts be with you,Just as you have said!
15 Hate evil, love good,And set justice at the 5:15The place where court was held gate!Perhaps Yahweh God of hostsMay be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore thus says Yahweh 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 mourningAnd 5:16Lit those who know lamentation professional weepers to wailing.
17 “And in all the vineyardsthere iswailingBecause I will pass through the midst of you,” says Yahweh.
18 ¶Woe, you who are longing for the day of Yahweh,For what purposewillthe day of Yahwehbeto you?Itwill bedarkness and not light;
19 As when a man flees from a lionAnd a bear meets him; 5:19Or Then Or he goes home, leans his hand against the wall,And a snake bites him.
20 Willnot the day of Yahwehbedarkness instead of light,Even thick darkness with no brightness in it?
21 ¶“I hate, I reject your feasts,Nor do I 5:21Lit like to smell delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,I will not acceptthem;And I will notevenlook at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
23 “Remove from Me the tumult of your songs;I will not even listen to the melody of your harps.
24 “But let justice roll down like watersAnd righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25 “ 5:25Or You presented Me with the sacrifices and a grain offering Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel?
26 You also carried along 5:26 Or Sakkuth (Saturn), shrine of your Moloch Sikkuth your king and 5:26 Or Kaiwan (Saturn), stands of Kiyyun, your images, 5:26 Or your star gods the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of hosts.