4 This is what the Lord says to Israel:

“Seek me and live;

5 do not seek Bethel,

do not go to Gilgal,

do not journey to Beersheba.

For Gilgal will surely go into exile,

and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

6 Seek the Lord and live,

or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;

it will devour them,

and Bethel will have no one to quench it.

7 There are those who turn justice into bitterness

and cast righteousness to the ground.

8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion,

who turns midnight into dawn

and darkens day into night,

who calls for the waters of the sea

and pours them out over the face of the land—

the Lord is his name.

9 With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold

and brings the fortified city to ruin.

4 For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel,

Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

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.

6 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 Beth-el.

7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood,

And leave off righteousness in the earth,

8 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:

9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong,

So that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

4 Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel:

“Come back to me and live!

5 Don’t worship at the pagan altars at Bethel;

don’t go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba.

For the people of Gilgal will be dragged off into exile,

and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

6 Come back to the Lord and live!

Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire,

devouring you completely.

Your gods in Bethel

won’t be able to quench the flames.

7 You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed.

You treat the righteous like dirt.

8 It is the Lord who created the stars,

the Pleiades and Orion.

He turns darkness into morning

and day into night.

He draws up water from the oceans

and pours it down as rain on the land.

The Lord is his name!

9 With blinding speed and power he destroys the strong,

crushing all their defenses.

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

“Seek Me and live;

5 But do not seek Bethel,

Nor enter Gilgal,

Nor pass over to Beersheba;

For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,

And Bethel shall come to nothing.

6 Seek the Lord and live,

Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph,

And devour it,

With no one to quench it in Bethel—

7 You who turn justice to wormwood,

And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!”

8 He made the Pleiades and Orion;

He turns the shadow of death into morning

And makes the day dark as night;

He calls for the waters of the sea

And pours them out on the face of the earth;

The Lord is His name.

9 He rains ruin upon the strong,

So that fury comes upon the fortress.

4 This is what the Lord says to the nation of Israel:

“Come to me and live.

5 But do not look in Bethel

or go to Gilgal,

and do not go down to Beersheba.

The people of Gilgal will be taken away as captives,

and Bethel will become nothing.”

6 Come to the Lord and live,

or he will move like fire against the descendants of Joseph.

The fire will burn Bethel,

and there will be no one to put it out.

7 You turn justice upside down,

and you throw on the ground what is right.

8 God is the one who made the star groups Pleiades and Orion;

he changes darkness into the morning light,

and the day into dark night.

He calls for the waters of the sea

to pour out on the earth.

The Lord is his name.

9 He destroys the protected city;

he ruins the strong, walled city.

4 For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live; 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. 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. 7 Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth, 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); 9 that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.

4 For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel: Seek ye me, and ye shall live. 5 And seek not Bethel, neither go to Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. 6 Seek Jehovah, 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. 7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth, 8 seek him that made 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. 9 He causeth destruction to break forth suddenly upon the strong, and bringeth destruction upon the fortress.

4 This is what the Lord says to the nation of Israel: 

Search for me and live! 

5 But don’t search ⸤for me⸥ at Bethel. 

Don’t go to Gilgal. 

Don’t travel to Beersheba. 

Gilgal will certainly go into exile. 

Bethel will come to nothing. 

6 Search for the Lord and live! 

If you don’t, he will spread like a fire through the house of Joseph 

and burn it down. 

Bethel will have no one to put it out. 

7 You, Israel, turn justice into poison 

and throw righteousness on the ground. 

8 God made the ⸤constellations⸥ Pleiades and Orion. 

He turns deep darkness into dawn. 

He turns day into night. 

He calls for water from the sea 

to pour it over the face of the earth. 

His name is the Lord. 

9 He destroys strongholds and ruins fortresses. 

4 For the Lord says to the house of Israel:

Seek Me and live!

5 Do not seek Bethel

or go to Gilgal

or journey to Beer-sheba,

for Gilgal will certainly go into exile,

and Bethel will come to nothing.

6 Seek Yahweh and live,

or He will spread like fire

throughout the house of Joseph;

it will consume everything,

with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.

7 Those who turn justice into wormwood

throw righteousness to the ground.

8 The One who made the Pleiades and Orion,

who turns darkness into dawn

and darkens day into night,

who summons the waters of the sea

and pours them out over the face of the earth —

Yahweh is His name.

9 He brings destruction on the strong,

and it falls on the stronghold.

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

Seek me and live;

5 but do not seek Bethel,

and do not enter into Gilgal

or cross over to Beer-sheba;

for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,

and Bethel shall come to nothing.

6 Seek the Lord and live,

or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire,

and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.

7 Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood,

and bring righteousness to the ground!

8 The one who made the Pleiades and Orion,

and turns deep darkness into the morning,

and darkens the 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,

9 who makes destruction flash out against the strong,

so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

4 For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel, “Seek me so that you may live.” 5 But do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile and Bethel will come to disaster.” 6 Seek Yahweh so that you may live, so that he will not break out like a fire against the house of Joseph! And it will devour, with none to quench it for Bethel. 7 Ah, you who turn justice into wormwood and hurl righteousness to the ground! 8 The one who made the Pleiades and Orion and who turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens day into night, the one who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name! 9 The one who makes destruction flash upon the fierce, so that destruction comes upon the fortification.

4 The Lord speaks to the people of Israel. He says,

“Look to me and live.

5 Do 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.”

6 Israel, look to the Lord and live.

If you don’t, he will sweep through

the people of Joseph like a fire.

It will burn everything up.

And Bethel won’t have anyone to put it out.

7 You turn what is fair into something bitter.

What is right you throw down to the ground.

8 The Lord made the Pleiades and Orion.

He turns darkness 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.

9 He destroys places of safety.

He tears down cities

that have high walls around them.

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel,

“Seek Me that you may live.

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.

6 “Seek the Lord that you may live,

Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph,

And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,

7 For those who turn justice into wormwood

And cast righteousness down to the earth.”

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.

9 It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong,

So that destruction comes upon the fortress.