5

Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens 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 of them.

They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

Seek him that maketh the seven stars 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: The LORD is his name:

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.

They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.

And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.

They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.