A Call to Repentance

51 Hear this word that I am bearing to you, A lamentation, O house of Israel: 2 'Fallen, not again to rise, hath the virgin of Israel, Left on her land—she hath no raiser up.' 3 For thus said the Lord Jehovah: The city that is going out a thousand, Doth leave an hundred, And that which is going out an hundred, Doth leave ten to the house of Israel.

4 For thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live, 5 And seek not Beth-El, and Gilgal enter not, And Beer-Sheba pass not through, For Gilgal doth utterly remove, And Beth-El doth become vanity. 6 Seek ye Jehovah, and live, Lest He prosper as fire 'against' the house of Joseph, And it hath consumed, And there is no quencher for Beth-El. 7 Ye who are turning to wormwood judgment, And righteousness to the earth have put down, 8 The maker of Kimah and Kesil, And the turner to morning of death-shade, And day 'as' night He hath made dark, Who is calling to the waters of the sea, And poureth them on the face of the earth, Jehovah 'is' His name; 9 Who is brightening up the spoiled against the strong, And the spoiled against a fortress cometh. 10 They have hated a reprover in the gate, And a plain speaker they abominate. 11 Therefore, because of your trampling on the poor, And the tribute of corn ye take from him, Houses of hewn work ye have built, And ye do not dwell in them, Desirable vineyards ye have planted, And ye do not drink their wine. 12 For I have known—many 'are' your transgressions, And mighty your sins, Adversaries of the righteous, taking ransoms, And the needy in the gate ye turned aside. 13 Therefore is the wise at that time silent, For an evil time it 'is'. 14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live, And it is so; Jehovah, God of Hosts, 'is' with you, as ye said. 15 Hate evil, and love good, And set up judgment in the gate, It may be Jehovah, God of Hosts, doth pity the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, the Lord, In all broad places 'is' lamentation, And in all out-places they say, 'Alas, alas,' And called the husbandman to mourning, And to lamentation the skilful of wailing. 17 And in all vineyards 'is' lamentation, For I pass into thy midst, said Jehovah. 18 Ho, ye who are desiring the day of Jehovah, Why 'is' this to you—the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light, 19 As 'when' one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him. 20 Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?

21 I have hated—I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints. 22 For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your presents to ascend to Me, I am not pleased, And the peace-offering of your fatlings I behold not. 23 Turn aside from Me the noise of thy songs, Yea, the praise of thy psaltery I hear not. 24 And roll on as waters doth judgment, And righteousness as a perennial stream. 25 Sacrifices and offering did ye bring nigh to Me, In a wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26 And ye bare Succoth your king, and Chiun your images, The star of your god, that ye made for yourselves. 27 And I removed you beyond Damascus, Said Jehovah, God of Hosts 'is' His name.

The Roar of the Lion

31 Hear ye this word that Jehovah hath spoken concerning you, O sons of Israel, concerning all the family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: 2 Only you I have known of all families of the land, Therefore I charge on you all your iniquities. 3 Do two walk together if they have not met? 4 Roar doth a lion in a forest and prey he hath none? Give out doth a young lion his voice from his habitation, If he hath not caught? 5 Doth a bird fall into a snare of the earth, And there is no gin for it? Doth a snare go up from the ground, And prey it captureth not? 6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, And do people not tremble? Is there affliction in a city, And Jehovah hath not done 'it'? 7 For the Lord Jehovah doth nothing, Except He hath revealed His counsel unto His servants the prophets. 8 A lion hath roared—who doth not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken—who doth not prophesy?

The Doom of Samaria

9 Sound ye unto palaces in Ashdod, And to palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: Be ye gathered on mountains of Samaria, And see many troubles within her, And oppressed ones in her midst. 10 And they have not known to act straightforwardly, An affirmation of Jehovah, Who are treasuring up violence and spoil in their palaces. 11 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: An adversary—and surrounding the land, And he hath brought down from thee thy strength, And spoiled have been thy palaces. 12 Thus said Jehovah: As the shepherd delivereth from the lion's mouth Two legs, or a piece of an ear, So delivered are the sons of Israel, Who are sitting in Samaria on the corner of a bed, And in Damascus 'on that of' a couch. 13 Hear ye and testify to the house of Jacob, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, God of Hosts. 14 For in the day of My charging the transgressions of Israel on him, I have laid a charge on the altars of Beth-El, And cut off have been the horns of the altar, And they have fallen to the earth. 15 And I have smitten the winter-house with the summer-house, And perished have houses of ivory, And consumed have been many houses, An affirmation of Jehovah!