1Listen 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!”
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2The Lord Yahweh has sworn by his holiness that behold,
- “The days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks,
- and the last of you with fish hooks.
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3You will go out at the breaks in the wall,
- everyone straight before her;
- and you will cast yourselves into Harmon,” says Yahweh.
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4“Go to Bethel, and sin;
- to Gilgal, and sin more.
- Bring your sacrifices every morning,
- your tithes every three days,
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5offer 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 Yahweh.
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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 Yahweh.
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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 place was rained on,
- and the piece where it didn’t rain withered.
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8So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water,
- and were not satisfied:
- yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
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9“I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards;
- and your fig trees and your olive trees have the swarming locust devoured:
- yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
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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;
- and I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp,
- yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
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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 Yahweh.
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12“Therefore thus will I do to you, Israel;
- because I will do this to you,
- prepare to meet your God, Israel.
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13For, behold, he who forms the mountains,
- and creates the wind,
- and declares to man what is his thought;
- who makes the morning darkness,
- and treads on the high places of the earth:
- Yahweh, the God of Armies, is his name.”