| א שִׁמְעוּ אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹשֵׂא עֲלֵיכֶם קִינָה--בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. | 1 Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel: |
| ב נָפְלָה לֹא-תוֹסִיף קוּם, בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל; נִטְּשָׁה עַל-אַדְמָתָהּ, אֵין מְקִימָהּ. | 2 The virgin of Israel is fallen, she shall no more rise; she is cast down upon her land, there is none to raise her up. |
| ג כִּי כֹה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, הָעִיר הַיֹּצֵאת אֶלֶף תַּשְׁאִיר מֵאָה; וְהַיּוֹצֵאת מֵאָה תַּשְׁאִיר עֲשָׂרָה, לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל. | 3 For thus saith the Lord GOD: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left, of the house of Israel. |
| ד כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה, לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל: דִּרְשׁוּנִי, וִחְיוּ. | 4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live; |
| ה וְאַל-תִּדְרְשׁוּ, בֵּית-אֵל, וְהַגִּלְגָּל לֹא תָבֹאוּ, וּבְאֵר שֶׁבַע לֹא תַעֲבֹרוּ: כִּי הַגִּלְגָּל גָּלֹה יִגְלֶה, וּבֵית-אֵל יִהְיֶה לְאָוֶן. | 5 But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought. |
| ו דִּרְשׁוּ אֶת-יְהוָה, וִחְיוּ: פֶּן-יִצְלַח כָּאֵשׁ בֵּית יוֹסֵף, וְאָכְלָה וְאֵין-מְכַבֶּה לְבֵית-אֵל. | 6 Seek the LORD, and live--lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Bethel-- |
| ז הַהֹפְכִים לְלַעֲנָה, מִשְׁפָּט; וּצְדָקָה, לָאָרֶץ הִנִּיחוּ. | 7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and cast righteousness to the ground; |
| ח עֹשֵׂה כִימָה וּכְסִיל, וְהֹפֵךְ לַבֹּקֶר צַלְמָוֶת, וְיוֹם, לַיְלָה הֶחְשִׁיךְ; הַקּוֹרֵא לְמֵי-הַיָּם, וַיִּשְׁפְּכֵם עַל-פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ--יְהוָה שְׁמוֹ. | 8 Him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and bringeth on the shadow of death in the morning, and darkeneth the day into night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; the LORD is His name; |
| ט הַמַּבְלִיג שֹׁד, עַל-עָז; וְשֹׁד, עַל-מִבְצָר יָבוֹא. | 9 That causeth destruction to flash upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress. |
| י שָׂנְאוּ בַשַּׁעַר, מוֹכִיחַ; וְדֹבֵר תָּמִים, יְתָעֵבוּ. | 10 They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. |
| יא לָכֵן יַעַן בּוֹשַׁסְכֶם עַל-דָּל, וּמַשְׂאַת-בַּר תִּקְחוּ מִמֶּנּוּ--בָּתֵּי גָזִית בְּנִיתֶם, וְלֹא-תֵשְׁבוּ בָם; כַּרְמֵי-חֶמֶד נְטַעְתֶּם, וְלֹא תִשְׁתּוּ אֶת-יֵינָם. | 11 Therefore, because ye trample upon the poor, and take from him exactions of wheat; ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them, ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine thereof. |
| יב כִּי יָדַעְתִּי רַבִּים פִּשְׁעֵיכֶם, וַעֲצֻמִים חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם; צֹרְרֵי צַדִּיק לֹקְחֵי כֹפֶר, וְאֶבְיוֹנִים בַּשַּׁעַר הִטּוּ. | 12 For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins; ye that afflict the just, that take a ransom, and that turn aside the needy in the gate. |
| יג לָכֵן, הַמַּשְׂכִּיל בָּעֵת הַהִיא--יִדֹּם: כִּי עֵת רָעָה, הִיא. | 13 Therefore the prudent doth keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time. |
| יד דִּרְשׁוּ-טוֹב וְאַל-רָע, לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּ; וִיהִי-כֵן יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי-צְבָאוֹת, אִתְּכֶם--כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם. | 14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say. |
| טו שִׂנְאוּ-רָע וְאֶהֱבוּ טוֹב, וְהַצִּיגוּ בַשַּׁעַר מִשְׁפָּט; אוּלַי, יֶחֱנַן יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי-צְבָאוֹת--שְׁאֵרִית יוֹסֵף. {ס} | 15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. {S} |
| טז לָכֵן כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת, אֲדֹנָי, בְּכָל-רְחֹבוֹת מִסְפֵּד, וּבְכָל-חוּצוֹת יֹאמְרוּ הוֹ-הוֹ; וְקָרְאוּ אִכָּר אֶל-אֵבֶל, וּמִסְפֵּד אֶל-יוֹדְעֵי נֶהִי. | 16 Therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: Lamentation shall be in all the broad places, and they shall say in all the streets: 'Alas! alas!' and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and proclaim lamentation to such as are skilful of wailing. |
| יז וּבְכָל-כְּרָמִים, מִסְפֵּד: כִּי-אֶעֱבֹר בְּקִרְבְּךָ, אָמַר יְהוָה. {פ} | 17 And in all vineyards shall be lamentation; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith the LORD. {P} |
| יח הוֹי הַמִּתְאַוִּים, אֶת-יוֹם יְהוָה: לָמָּה-זֶּה לָכֶם יוֹם יְהוָה, הוּא-חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא-אוֹר. | 18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! Wherefore would ye have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light. |
| יט כַּאֲשֶׁר יָנוּס אִישׁ מִפְּנֵי הָאֲרִי, וּפְגָעוֹ הַדֹּב; וּבָא הַבַּיִת--וְסָמַךְ יָדוֹ עַל-הַקִּיר, וּנְשָׁכוֹ הַנָּחָשׁ. | 19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; and went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. |
| כ הֲלֹא-חֹשֶׁךְ יוֹם יְהוָה, וְלֹא-אוֹר; וְאָפֵל, וְלֹא-נֹגַהּ לוֹ. | 20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it? |
| כא שָׂנֵאתִי מָאַסְתִּי, חַגֵּיכֶם; וְלֹא אָרִיחַ, בְּעַצְּרֹתֵיכֶם. | 21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. |
| כב כִּי אִם-תַּעֲלוּ-לִי עֹלוֹת וּמִנְחֹתֵיכֶם, לֹא אֶרְצֶה; וְשֶׁלֶם מְרִיאֵיכֶם, לֹא אַבִּיט. | 22 Yea, though ye offer me burnt-offerings and your meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. |
| כג הָסֵר מֵעָלַי, הֲמוֹן שִׁרֶיךָ; וְזִמְרַת נְבָלֶיךָ, לֹא אֶשְׁמָע. | 23 Take thou away from Me the noise of thy songs; and let Me not hear the melody of thy psalteries. |
| כד וְיִגַּל כַּמַּיִם, מִשְׁפָּט; וּצְדָקָה, כְּנַחַל אֵיתָן. | 24 But let justice well up as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. |
| כה הַזְּבָחִים וּמִנְחָה הִגַּשְׁתֶּם-לִי בַמִּדְבָּר, אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה--בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. | 25 Did ye bring unto Me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? |
| כו וּנְשָׂאתֶם, אֵת סִכּוּת מַלְכְּכֶם, וְאֵת, כִּיּוּן צַלְמֵיכֶם--כּוֹכַב, אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם, לָכֶם. | 26 So shall ye take up Siccuth your king and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. |
| כז וְהִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם, מֵהָלְאָה לְדַמָּשֶׂק: אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי-צְבָאוֹת, שְׁמוֹ. {פ} | 27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith He, whose name is the LORD God of hosts. {P} |