Self-interpreting Bible

1 HEAR ^aye this word which I take up against you, even a ^blamentation, O house of Israel.

• a: Am. 3:1 , Am. 4:1 , Am. 5:16 , Eze. 19:1 , Eze. 27:2
• b: Je. 9:17 , Eze. 2:10 , Eze. 19:2 , Eze. 19:14 , Eze. 27:2

2 The ^cvirgin of Israel ^dis fallen; ^eshe shall no more rise: ^fshe is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

• c: La. 2:13 , Is. 23:12 , Is. 37:22 , Is. 47:1 , Je. 18:13 , 2Co. 11:2
• d: 2Ki. 15:29 , 2Ki. 17:6
• e: Ho. 1:6 , Ho. 3:4 , Ho. 3:5
• f: Eze. 16:5 , Eze. 23:9 , Eze. 23:10 , Mi. 1:5 - 9 , Am. 7:11 , Is. 10:4 , Is. 33:23 , Le. 26:30 - 39

3 For thus saith the Lord GOD; ^gThe 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.

• g: Le. 26:22 , De. 28:62 , Is. 10:22 , Is. 1:9

4 ¶For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, ^hSeek ye me, and ye shall live:

• h: Am. 5:6 , Is. 55:6 , Is. 55:7 , De. 30:8 , De. 30:10 , De. 30:15 - 20 , Je. 29:12 , Je. 29:13 , Ps. 50:15 , Mat. 7:7

5 But ⁱseek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to ^jBeer-sheba: for ^kGilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.

• i: Am. 4:4 , Am. 8:14 , Am. 8:12 , 2Co. 6:16 , Ho. 4:15 , Ho. 9:15 , Ho. 10:8 , Ho. 10:15 , Ho. 12:11 , Ge. 21:33 , Ge. 22:19
• j: 2Ki. 23:8
• k: Am. 5:26 , Am. 5:27 , Am. 7:9 , Am. 9:8 , Le. 26:30 - 32 , Ho. 10:14 , Ho. 10:15 , Ho. 13:2 , Mi. 1:6 , Mi. 1:7

6 ^lSeek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like ^mfire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be ⁿnone to quench it in Beth-el.

• l: Mat. 7:7 , Je. 29:12 , Je. 29:13 , La. 3:25 , Is. 55:6 , Is. 55:7 , Eze. 33:11 , Ps. 50:15 , Ps. 91:15
• m: Am. 1:4 , Am. 1:7 , Am. 1:10 , Am. 1:12 , Am. 1:14 , De. 32:22 , Am. 6:6 , Eze. 37:19
• n: Ho. 8:5 , Ho. 8:6 , Ho. 10:5 , Ho. 10:6 , Ho. 10:14 , Ho. 10:15 , Mi. 1:7

7 Ye who ^oturn judgment to ^*wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

• o: Am. 6:12 , Ho. 10:4 , Is. 10:1 , Is. 5:7 , Is. 1:23 , Is. 59:13 , Is. 59:14 , 1Sa. 8:3 , Ps. 58:1 , Ps. 58:2 , Am. 5:11 , Am. 5:12 , Hab. 1:2 - 4
• *: wormwood-bitter, oil-yielding plant.

8 Seek him that maketh the ^pseven stars and Orion, and ^qturneth the shadow of death into the morning, and ^rmaketh the day dark with night: that ^scalleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:

• p: Job 9:9 , Job 38:31
• q: Ps. 74:16 , Am. 4:13 , Job 24:17
• r: Am. 8:9
• s: Am. 9:6 , 1Ki. 18:44 , Job 38:34

9 That ^tstrengtheneth the ¹spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

• t: 2Ki. 13:17 , 2Ki. 13:25 , Je. 37:10 , He. 11:34
• 1: Heb. spoil.

10 They ^uhate him that rebuketh ^vin the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

• u: Is. 29:21 , Pr. 9:7 , Pr. 9:8 , Pr. 12:1 , Pr. 13:1 , 1Ki. 22:8 , Ps. 37:12 , Ps. 37:14 , Mi. 3:2 , Re. 11:10
• v: Job 5:4 , Ps. 127:5 , Am. 5:12 , Am. 5:15

11 ^*Forasmuch therefore as your ^wtreading is upon the poor, and ye take from him ²burdens of wheat: ^xye have built houses of ^*hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted ³pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

• *: Forasmuch-because, since. , hewn-shaped by cutting or chopping.
• w: Am. 4:1 , Mi. 2:2 , Mi. 3:2 , Mi. 3:3 , Is. 59:13 , Is. 59:14 , Is. 5:7 , Is. 5:8 , Is. 1:23
• 2: Or, gifts. Je. 40.5. Eze. 34.4. 1Sa. 8.3. Is. 1.23. , Je. 40:5 , Eze. 34:4 , 1Sa. 8:3 , Is. 1:23
• x: Zep. 1:13 , Mi. 6:15 , De. 28:30 , De. 28:38 , De. 28:39 , Hag. 1:6
• 3: Heb. vineyards of desire.

12 For ^yI know your ^zmanifold transgressions and your mighty sins: ^athey afflict the just, they ^btake ⁴a bribe, and ^cthey turn aside the poor ^din the gate from their right.

• y: Ps. 50:21 , Pr. 17:15
• z: Is. 47:9 , Ge. 13:13 , 2Ki. 17:7 - 17
• a: Am. 5:10 , Ja. 5:6 , Is. 59:15 , 2Ch. 36:15 , 2Ch. 36:16 , Mi. 3:2
• b: Ps. 26:9 , Ps. 26:10 , Is. 1:23 , Mi. 3:11 , Mi. 7:3 , Am. 5:11
• 4: Or, a ransom.
• c: Am. 5:7 , Am. 5:11 , Is. 1:23 , Is. 10:2 , Is. 29:21 , La. 3:33 , La. 3:35 , Mal. 3:5 , Am. 2:6 , Am. 2:7
• d: Am. 5:10 , Ru. 4:1 , De. 21:19 , De. 16:18 , Pr. 22:22

13 Therefore the prudent ^eshall keep silence in that time; for it is an ^fevil time.

• e: Am. 6:10 , Ho. 4:4 , Ho. 4:17 , Mat. 7:6 , Ep. 5:15 , Mi. 7:6 , Mi. 7:7
• f: Mi. 2:3 , 2Ti. 3:1

14 ^gSeek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be ^hwith you, ⁱas ye have spoken.

• g: Is. 55:2 , Mat. 6:33 , Mat. 7:7 , Mat. 7:13 , Mat. 7:14 , Mi. 6:8 , Deuteronomy 4 - 12
• h: Am. 3:3 , Mi. 3:4 , Is. 43:2 , Is. 41:10 , Is. 41:13
• i: Mi. 3:11

15 ^jHate the evil, and love the good, and ^kestablish judgment in the gate: ^lit may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the ^mremnant of Joseph.

• j: Ps. 34:14 , Ps. 97:10 , Ps. 119:104 , Ps. 15:4 , Ro. 12:2 , Ro. 12:9 , Ro. 7:22
• k: Am. 5:10 , Ps. 82:2 - 4 , 2Ch. 19:6 , 2Ch. 19:7 , 2Ch. 19:9
• l: 2:14 , Is. 55:6 , Is. 55:7 , Ex. 32:30 , 2Ki. 19:4
• m: 2Ki. 13:3 , 2Ki. 13:7 , 2Ki. 14:26 , 2Ki. 14:27 , 2Ki. 15:19 , 2Ki. 15:29 , Zep. 2:7

16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; ⁿWailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the ^*husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

• n: Is. 22:4 , Mi. 1:8 , Mi. 2:4 , Je. 9:1 , Je. 9:10 , Je. 9:17 - 20 , 1:8 , 1:11 , 1:13 , Is. 15:3 - 5 , Is. 15:8
• *: husbandman-one who works on the land.

17 And ^oin all vineyards shall be wailing: for ^pI will pass through thee, saith the LORD.

• o: Is. 16:10 , Je. 25:31 , Je. 48:33
• p: Ex. 12:12 , Na. 1:12 , Na. 1:15

18 Woe unto you that ^qdesire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? ^rthe day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

• q: Is. 5:19 , Je. 17:15 , 2Pe. 3:4 , Eze. 12:22 , Eze. 12:27 , Ps. 95:9 , 2:1 , 2:11 , 3:14
• r: Je. 30:7 , Je. 17:15 , Is. 5:19 , 2:2 , 1:15 , Zep. 1:14 , Zep. 1:15 , Am. 5:20 , 1Pe. 4:18 , 2Pe. 3:4

19 ^sAs if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

• s: Is. 24:17 , Is. 24:18 , Je. 48:44 , Je. 15:3 , Je. 15:4 , Am. 9:1

20 Shall not the day of the LORD be ^tdarkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

• t: Ps. 75:8 , Na. 1:8 , Na. 1:9 , Zep. 1:14 - 18 , Is. 13:10 , Re. 6:17 , Eze. 7:2 - 4 , Eze. 5:11 - 17 , Eze. 34:12

21 ¶^uI hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not ⁵smell in your solemn assemblies.

• u: Is. 1:11 - 15 , Je. 6:20 , Je. 7:21 - 23 , Ho. 6:6 , Ho. 8:13 , Is. 66:3 , Pr. 15:8 , Pr. 21:27 , Pr. 28:9 , Mal. 1:10
• 5: Or, smell your holy days. Ge. 8.21. Le. 26.31. , Ge. 8:21 , Le. 26:31

22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, ^vI will not accept them: neither will I regard the ⁶peace offerings of your fat beasts.

• v: Ho. 8:13
• 6: Or, thank offerings. Le. 3.1,6. , Le. 3:1 , Le. 3:6

23 Take thou away from me ^wthe noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy ^*viols.

• w: Am. 8:3 , Am. 6:5
• *: viols-lyres, stringed instruments.

24 But ^xlet judgment ⁷run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

• x: Am. 5:14 , Am. 5:15 , Mi. 6:8 , Job 23:11 , Job 29:12 - 17 , Ps. 82:2 - 4 , De. 16:18 - 20
• 7: Heb. roll.

25 ^yHave ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

• y: De. 32:17 - 19 , Eze. 20:8 , Eze. 20:16 , Eze. 20:24 , Ac. 7:42 , Ac. 7:43 , Is. 43:23 , Zec. 7:5 , Ho. 10:1 , Ho. 9:9 , Ho. 9:10 , Mat. 23:23 , Mat. 23:25

26 But ^zye have borne the ^*tabernacle of ⁸your Moloch and Chiun your images, ^athe star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

• z: Eze. 16:15 , Eze. 16:16 , Eze. 20:7 , Eze. 20:16 , Eze. 23:3 , Eze. 23:8 , Le. 17:3 , Le. 18:3 , Le. 20:2 - 5 , 1Ki. 11:7 , 1Ki. 11:33
• *: tabernacle-tent, dwelling.
• 8: Or, Siccuth your king.
• a: 2Ki. 23:10 , 2Ki. 23:11 , 2Ch. 34:4

27 ^bTherefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is ^cThe God of hosts.

• b: Ac. 7:43 , 2Ki. 15:29 , 2Ki. 17:6 - 17
• c: Am. 5:14