5:1 Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.
5:1 Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel.

5:2 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.
5:2 She has fallen, she will not rise again-- The virgin Israel. She [lies] neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up.

5:3 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left, to the house of Israel.
5:3 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."

5:4 For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;
5:4 For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live.

5:5 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.
5:5 "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.

5:6 Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.
5:6 "Seek the LORD that you may live, Lest He break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it consume with none to quench [it] for Bethel,

5:7 Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,
5:7 [For] those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth. "

5:8 (seek him) that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth (Jehovah is his name);
5:8 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.

5:9 that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.
5:9 It is He who flashes forth [with] destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress.

5:10 They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
5:10 They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks [with] integrity.

5:11 Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him 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 the wine thereof.
5:11 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.

5:12 For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins-- ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate (from their right).
5:12 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.

5:13 Therefore he that is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.
5:13 Therefore, at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time.

5:14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.
5:14 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!

5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
5:15 Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

5:16 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all the broad ways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! Alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful in lamentation to wailing.
5:16 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.

5:17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith Jehovah.
5:17 "And in all the vineyards [there is] wailing, Because I shall pass through the midst of you," says the LORD.

5:18 Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light.
5:18 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;

5:19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
5:19 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.

5:20 Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
5:20 [Will] not the day of the LORD [be] darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?

5:21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
5:21 "I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.

5:22 Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.
5:22 "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.

5:23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
5:23 "Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

5:24 But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
5:24 "But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

5:25 Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
5:25 "Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel?

5:26 Yea, ye have borne the tabernacle of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
5:26 "You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.

5:27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Jehovah, whose name is the God of hosts.
5:27 "Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts.