¹ 以色列家啊，要听我为你们所作的哀歌：

² 以色列民（原文是处女）跌倒，不得再起；躺在地上，无人搀扶。

³ 主耶和华如此说：以色列家的城发出一千兵的，只剩一百；发出一百的，只剩十个。

⁴ 耶和华向以色列家如此说：你们要寻求我，就必存活。

⁵ 不要往伯特利寻求，不要进入吉甲，不要过到别是巴；因为吉甲必被掳掠，伯特利也必归於无有。

⁶ 要寻求耶和华，就必存活，免得他在约瑟家像火发出，在伯特利焚烧，无人扑灭。

⁷ 你们这使公平变为茵蔯，将公义丢弃于地的，

⁸ 要寻求那造昴星和参星，使死荫变为晨光，使白日变为黑夜，命海水来浇在地上的─耶和华是他的名；

⁹ 他使力强的忽遭灭亡，以致保障遭遇毁坏。

¹⁰ 你们怨恨那在城门口责备人的，憎恶那说正直话的。

¹¹ 你们践踏贫民，向他们勒索麦子；你们用凿过的石头建造房屋，却不得住在其内；栽种美好的葡萄园，却不得喝所出的酒。

¹² 我知道你们的罪过何等多，你们的罪恶何等大。你们苦待义人，收受贿赂，在城门口屈枉穷乏人。

¹³ 所以通达人见这样的时势必静默不言，因为时势真恶。

¹⁴ 你们要求善，不要求恶，就必存活。这样，耶和华─万军之神必照你们所说的与你们同在。

¹⁵ 要恶恶好善，在城门口秉公行义；或者耶和华─万军之神向约瑟的馀民施恩。

¹⁶ 主耶和华─万军之神如此说：在一切宽阔处必有哀号的声音；在各街市上必有人说：哀哉！哀哉！又必叫农夫来哭号，叫善唱哀歌的来举哀。

¹⁷ 在各葡萄园必有哀号的声音，因为我必从你中间经过。这是耶和华说的。

¹⁸ 想望耶和华日子来到的有祸了！你们为何想望耶和华的日子呢？那日黑暗没有光明，

¹⁹ 景况好像人躲避狮子又遇见熊，或是进房屋以手靠墙，就被蛇咬。

²⁰ 耶和华的日子不是黑暗没有光明麽？不是幽暗毫无光辉麽？

²¹ 我厌恶你们的节期，也不喜悦你们的严肃会。

²² 你们虽然向我献燔祭和素祭，我却不悦纳，也不顾你们用肥畜献的平安祭；

²³ 要使你们歌唱的声音远离我，因为我不听你们弹琴的响声。

²⁴ 惟愿公平如大水滚滚，使公义如江河滔滔。

²⁵ 以色列家啊，你们在旷野四十年，岂是将祭物和供物献给我呢？

²⁶ 你们抬着为自己所造之摩洛的帐幕和偶像的龛，并你们的神星。

²⁷ 所以我要把你们掳到大马色以外。这是耶和华、名为万军之神说的。

¹ Yahweh said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in the midst of them,

² and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son's son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am Yahweh."

³ Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, "This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

⁴ Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

⁵ and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won't be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.

⁶ Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.'" He turned, and went out from Pharaoh.

⁷ Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh, their God. Don't you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?"

⁸ Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "Go, serve Yahweh your God; but who are those who will Go?"

⁹ Moses said, "We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to Yahweh."

¹⁰ He said to them, "Yahweh be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.

¹¹ Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve Yahweh; for that is what you desire!" They were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

¹² Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left."

¹³ Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

¹⁴ The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

¹⁵ For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, "I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you.

¹⁷ Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death."

¹⁸ He went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh.

¹⁹ Yahweh turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.

²⁰ But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he didn't let the children of Israel go.

²¹ Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt."

²² Moses stretched forth his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.

²³ They didn't see one another, neither did anyone rise from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

²⁴ Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go, serve Yahweh. Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones also Go with you."

²⁵ Moses said, "You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.

²⁶ Our livestock also shall go with us. Not a hoof shall be left behind, for of it we must take to serve Yahweh our God; and we don't know with what we must serve Yahweh, until we come there."

²⁷ But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he wouldn't let them go.

²⁸ Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!"

²⁹ Moses said, "You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more."