4
1 Listen
to this word,
you cows of
Bashan, who are
on the mountain
of Samaria, who
oppress the poor,
who crush the
needy, who tell
their husbands, “Bring us
drinks!”
2 The
Lord GOD has
sworn by his
holiness,
“Behold, the days
shall come on you
that they will
take you away
with hooks,
and the last
of you with
fish hooks.
3 You
will go out
at the breaks
in the wall,
everyone straight before
her;
and you will
cast yourselves
into Harmon,” says
the LORD.
4 “Go to
Bethel, and sin;
to Gilgal, and sin
more.
Bring your sacrifices
every morning,
your tithes every
three days,
5 offer
a sacrifice of
thanksgiving of
that which is
leavened,
and proclaim free
will offerings
and brag about
them;
for this pleases
you, you children
of Israel,” says
the Lord GOD.
6 “I
also have given
you cleanness of
teeth in all
your cities,
and lack of
bread in every
town;
yet you haven’t
returned to me,”
says the LORD.
7 “I
also have withheld
the rain from
you,
when there were
yet three months
to the harvest;
and I caused it
to rain on
one city,
and caused it not
to rain on
another city.
One field was
rained on,
and the field
where it didn’t
rain withered.
8 So
two or three
cities staggered
to one city
to drink water,
and were not
satisfied;
yet you haven’t
returned to me,”
says the LORD.
9 “I
struck you with
blight and mildew
many times in your
gardens and your
vineyards,
and the swarming
locusts have devoured
your fig trees
and your olive
trees;
yet you haven’t
returned to me,”
says the LORD.
10 “I
sent plagues among
you like I
did Egypt.
I have slain
your young men
with the sword,
and have carried
away your horses.
I filled your nostrils
with the stench of
your camp,
yet you haven’t
returned to me,”
says the LORD.
11 “I
have overthrown some
of you,
as when God
overthrew Sodom
and Gomorrah,
and you were
like a
burning stick plucked
out of the
fire;
yet you haven’t
returned to me,”
says the LORD.
12 “Therefore
I will do
this to you,
Israel;
because I will
do this to
you,
prepare to meet
your God, Israel.
13 For,
behold, he who
forms the
mountains, creates
the wind, declares
to man what is
his thought,
who makes the
morning darkness,
and treads on
the high places
of the earth:
The LORD, the
God of Armies,
is his name.”