1
"Hear this word, 1you cows of Bashan, who are 2on the mountain of Samaria, 3who oppress the poor, 4who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, 'Bring, that we may drink!'
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5The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, 6when they shall take you away with hooks, 7even the last of you with fishhooks.
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8And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon," declares the LORD.
4
9"Come to Bethel, and transgress; to 10Gilgal, and multiply transgression; 11bring your 12sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days;
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offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of 13that which is leavened, and proclaim 14freewill offerings, publish them; 15for so you love to do, O people of Israel!" declares the Lord GOD.
Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord
6
"I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and 16lack of bread in all your places, 17yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.
7
"I also 18withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; 19I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
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so two or three cities 20would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; 21yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.
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22"I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees 23the locust devoured; 24yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.
10
"I sent among you a pestilence 25after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and 26carried away your horses,a and 27I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; 28yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.
11
"I overthrew some of you, 29as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were 30as a brandb plucked out of the burning; 31yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.
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"Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!"
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)