Mourn and Turn Back to the Lord
1People of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message. Hear my song of sadness about you. I say,
2“The people of Israel have fallen.
They will never get up again.
They are deserted in their own land.
No one can lift them up.”
3Here is what the Lord and King says to Israel.
“A thousand soldiers will march out from a city.
But only a hundred will return.
A hundred soldiers will march out from a town.
But only ten will come back.”
4The Lord speaks to the people of Israel. He says,
“Look to me and live.
5Do not look to Bethel.
Do not go to Gilgal.
Do not travel to Beersheba.
The people of Gilgal will be taken away as prisoners.
Nothing will be left of Bethel.”
6Israel, look to the Lord and live.
If you don’t, he will sweep through
the tribes of Joseph like a fire.
It will burn everything up.
And Bethel won’t have anyone to put it out.
7There are people among you who turn what is fair into something bitter.
They throw down to the ground what is right.
8The Lord made the Pleiades and Orion.
He turns midnight into sunrise.
He makes the day fade into night.
He sends for the waters in the clouds.
Then he pours them out on the surface of the land.
His name is the Lord.
9With a flash of light he destroys places of safety.
He tears down cities
that have high walls around them.
10There are people among you who hate anyone who stands for justice in court.
They hate those who tell the truth.
11You make poor people pay tax on their straw.
You also tax their grain.
So, even though you have built stone houses,
you won’t live in them.
You have planted fruitful vineyards.
But you won’t drink the wine they produce.
12I know how many crimes you have committed.
You have sinned far too much.
Among you are people who crush those who have done no wrong.
They accept money from people who want special favors.
They take away the rights of poor people in the courts.
13So those who are wise keep quiet in times like these.
That’s because the times are evil.
14Look to what is good, not to what is evil.
Then you will live.
And the Lord God who rules over all
will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15Hate evil and love good.
Do what is fair in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God who rules over all
will have mercy on you.
After all, you are the only ones left
in the family line of Joseph.
16The Lord God rules over all. The Lord says,
“People will weep in all the streets.
They will be very sad in every market place.
Even farmers will be told to cry loudly.
People will mourn for the dead.
17Workers will cry in all the vineyards.
That’s because I will punish you,”
says the Lord.
The Day of the Lord Is Coming
18How terrible it will be for you
who long for the day of the Lord!
Why do you want it to come?
That day will be dark, not light.
19It will be like a man running away from a lion
only to meet a bear.
He enters his house and rests his hand on a wall
only to be bitten by a snake.
20The day of the Lord will be dark, not light.
It will be very black.
There won’t be a ray of sunlight anywhere.
21The Lord says,
“I hate your holy feasts.
I can’t stand them.
Your gatherings stink.
22You bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings.
But I will not accept them.
You bring your best friendship offerings.
But I will not even look at them.
23Take the noise of your songs away!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24I want you to treat others fairly.
So let fair treatment roll on
just as a river does!
Always do what is right.
Let right living flow along
like a stream that never runs dry!
25“People of Israel, did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
for 40 years in the desert?
26Yes. But you have honored the place
where your king worshiped other gods.
You have carried the stands
the statues of your gods were on.
You have lifted up the banners
of the stars you worship as gods.
You made all those things for yourselves.
27So I will send you away
as prisoners beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord.
His name is God Who Rules Over All.
劝以色列人悔改
1以色列家啊，
听我为你们唱哀歌：
2“处女以色列跌倒了，
再也站不起来；
她被遗弃在自己的土地上，
无人扶她起来。”
3因为主耶和华说：
“以色列家的城邑中，
出兵一千的，只有百人生还；
出兵一百的，只有十人生还。”
4耶和华对以色列家说：
“你们要寻求我，才能存活。
5不要去伯特利求问，
不要进入吉甲，
也不要前往别示巴，
因为吉甲人必被掳去，
伯特利也必化为乌有。”
6你们要寻求耶和华，才能存活。
否则，祂要在约瑟家5:6 “约瑟家”此处指约瑟的子孙以法莲和玛拿西两个支派，圣经中有时用约瑟家代指北国以色列。如烈火爆发，
吞噬伯特利，无人能扑灭。
7你们这些使正义变为苦艾、将公义丢弃在地的人啊，
8那位造昴星和参星，
使幽暗变为黎明，
使白昼变为黑夜，
召来海水浇在大地上的——
祂的名字是耶和华。
9祂使毁灭如闪电临到强者，
摧毁他们的坚城。
10你们憎恨在城门口主持公道的人，
厌恶正直的人。
11你们践踏穷人，
对他们横征暴敛。
因此，你们用凿过的石头建房，
却不得居住在里面；
你们种植佳美的葡萄园，
却喝不到葡萄酒。
12我知道你们的过犯众多、罪恶无数。
你们迫害义人，收受贿赂，
在城门口冤枉穷人。
13这是邪恶的时代，
所以明智者静默不言。
14你们要弃恶从善，才能存活。
这样，万军之上帝耶和华必与你们同在，
正如你们所说的。
15你们要恨恶邪恶，喜爱良善，
在城门口伸张正义，
也许万军之上帝耶和华会恩待约瑟的余民。
16因此，主——万军之上帝耶和华说：
“哀号之声要响遍各广场，
哭喊之声将充满大街小巷。
农夫被叫来哭泣，
哭丧者被召来哀号。
17每个葡萄园都传出哀恸的声音，
因为我要从你们中间经过，惩罚你们。
这是耶和华说的。”
18盼望耶和华的日子到来的人有祸了！
你们为什么盼望耶和华的日子呢？
那日将带来黑暗，而非光明。
19你们的光景将好像人逃避狮子，
却遇上了熊，
逃回家里，手扶墙壁，
又被蛇咬。
20耶和华的日子将充满黑暗，毫无光明，
一片漆黑，
毫无亮光。
21“我憎恶、鄙弃你们的节期，
厌恶你们的圣会。
22即使你们献上燔祭和素祭，
我也不悦纳；
即使你们用肥美的牲畜献上平安祭，
我也不屑一顾。
23撤去你们嘈杂的歌声吧，
我不想听到你们的琴音。
24惟愿公正如江河滔滔不尽，
公义如溪流绵绵不绝。
25以色列家啊，
在旷野的四十年间，
你们向我献过祭物和供品吗？
26你们抬着为自己造的神像——
你们的王撒固和星神迦温。
27所以，我要使你们被掳到大马士革以外的地方。”
这是耶和华说的，祂的名字是万军之上帝。
