1 Shamai (hearken / hear) to this dabar (word / matter) which I nashaa (lift) up for a qayanah (lamentation) over you, O bayath (house) of Yashar-Al (Israel).
2 “The bathawalah (virgin) of Yashar-Al (Israel) napal (fall / be cast down) fallen; She shall qawam (rise up) no more. She is natash (cast) down on her adamah (land); there is no one to qawam (rise up) her up.”
3 For thus amar (spoke) the Adanay () Yahawah (): “The iyar (city) that yatzaa (go out / come out) forth a alap (thousand) shall have a maah (hundred) shaar (left), and that which yatzaa (go out / come out) forth one maah (hundred) shall have ishar (ten) shaar (left) to the bayath (house) of Yashar-Al (Israel).”
4 For thus amar (spoke) Yahawah () to the bayath (house) of Yashar-Al (Israel): “darash (seek) me, and you will chayah (live);
5 But don't darash (seek) Bayath-Al (Bethel), nor bawaa (bring) into Galagal (Gilgal), and don't ibar (pass over/through) to Baar-Shabai (Beersheba): for Galagal (Gilgal) shall galah (surely) galah (go) into captivity, and Bayath-Al (Bethel) shall come to nothing.
6 Darash (seek) Yahawah (), and you will chayah (live); lest he tzalach (break) out like ash (fire) in the bayath (house) of Yawasap (Joseph), and it akal (eat), and there be no one to kabah (quench) it in Bayath-Al (Bethel).
7 You who hapak (turn) mashapat (justice) to lainah (wormwood), and yanach (cast) down tzadaqah (righteousness) to the aratz (Earth/land):
8 Seek him who ishah (make) the kayamah (pleiades) and kasayal (orion), and hapak (turns) the shadow of tzalamawath (death) into the baqar (morning), and makes the yawam (day) chashak (darkness) with layal (night); who qaraa (called) for the may (waters) of the yam (sea/waters), and shapak (pours) them out on the surface of the aratz (Earth/land), Yahawah () is his sham (name),
9 Who brings sudden shad (destruction) on the iz (strong), so that shad (destruction) bawaa (bring) on the mabatzar (fortress).
10 They shanaa (hate) him who yakach (reproves) in the shair (gate), and they thaib (abhor) him who dabar (word / matter) blamelessly.
11 Yain (forasmuch) therefore as you trample on the dal (poor), and laqach (take / seize) taxes from him of bar (wheat): You have banah (build) bathay (houses) of cut gazayath (stone), but you will not yashab (inhabit/dwell) in them. You have natai (planted) chamad (pleasant) karamay (vineyards), but you shall not shathah (drinks) their yayan (wine).
12 For I yadai (know) how many your offenses, and how itzawam (great) are your chataah (sin)— you who tzarar (afflict) the tzadayaq (righteous), who laqach (take / seize) a kapar (bribe), and who natah (turn) aside the abayawan (needy) in the courts.
13 Therefore a shakal (prudent) person damam (keeps) silent in such a ith (time), for it is an rai (evil) ith (time).
14 Darash (seek) tawab (good / proper function), and not rai (evil), that you may chayah (live); and so Yahawah (), the Alahayam () of tzabaawath (armies), will be with you, as you amar (spoke).
15 Shanaa (hate) rai (evil), ahab (love) tawab (good / proper function), and yatzag (establish) mashapat (justice) in the courts. It may be that Yahawah (), the Alahayam () of tzabaawath (armies), will be gracious to the shaarayath (remnant) of Yawasap (Joseph).”
16 Therefore thus yaamaraw (says) Yahawah (), the Alahayam () of tzabaawath (armies), the Adanay (): “masapad (wailing) will be in all the rachab (broad) ways; and they will amar (spoke) in all the chawatzawath (streets), ‘haw (alas)! Haw (alas)!’ And they will qaraa (called) the farmer to abal (mourning), and those who are skillful in nahay (lamentation) to masapad (wailing).
17 In all karamayam (vineyards) there will be masapad (wailing); for I will ibar (pass over/through) qarab (among / near) the midst of you,” amar (spoke) Yahawah ().
18 “Haway (Alas/Woe!) To you who awah (desire) the yawam (day) of Yahawah ()! Mah (why) do you long for the yawam (day) of Yahawah ()? It is chashak (darkness), and not awar (light).
19 As if a ayash (man / husband) nawas (fled) from a aray (lion), and a dab (bear) pagai (met) him; Or he bawaa (bring) into the bayath (house) and samak (leaned) his yad (hand) on the qayar (wall), and a snake bit him.
20 Won't the yawam (day) of Yahawah () be chashak (darkness), and not awar (light)? Even very apal (dark), and no nagah (brightness) in it?
21 I shanaa (hate), I maas (despise) your chag (feast/festival), and I can't stand your solemn itzarah (assemblies).
22 Yes, though you ilah (go up / offer) me your burnt ilawath (offerings) and meal manachah (offerings), I will not ratzah (accept) them; neither will I nabat (regard) the shalam (peace) offerings of your marayaa (fat) animals.
23 Sawar (take) away from me the hamawan (noise) of your shayar (song)! I will not shamai (hearken / hear) to the music of your harps.
24 But let mashapat (justice) galal (roll) on like mayam (Waters), and tzadaqah (righteousness) like a ayathan (mighty) nachal (stream / river).
25 “Did you nagash (bring) to me zabachayam (sacrifices) and manachah (offerings) in the madabar (wilderness) arabaiyam (forty) shanah (years), bayath (house) of Yashar-Al (Israel)?
26 You also nashaa (lift) the sakawath (tent) of your king and the Kayawan (shrine) of your tzalam (likeness), the kawakab (star) of your Alahayam (), which you ishah (make) for yourselves.
27 Therefore will I cause you to galah (go) into captivity halaah (beyond) Damashaq (Damascus),” amar (spoke) Yahawah (), whose sham (name) is the Alahayam () of tzabaawath (armies).