1Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink. 2The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. 3And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.4.3 cast…: or, cast away the things of the palace
4¶ Come to Beth-el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:4.4 three…: Heb. three years of days 5And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.4.5 offer: Heb. offer by burning4.5 this…: Heb. so ye love
6¶ And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 7And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. 8So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 9I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.4.9 when…: or, the multitude of your gardens, etc. did the palmerworm 10I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.4.10 after…: or, in the way4.10 and have…: Heb. with the captivity of your horses 11I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 12Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 13For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.4.13 wind: or, spirit
Israel has not returned to God
1Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria,
you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy
and say to your husbands, ‘Bring us some drinks!’
2The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
‘The time will surely come
when you will be taken away with hooks,
the last of you with fishhooks.4:2 Or away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets
3You will each go straight out
through breaches in the wall.
You will be cast out towards Harmon,4:3 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) out, you mountain of oppression’
declares the Lord.
4‘Go to Bethel and sin;
go to Gilgal and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three years.4:4 Or days
5Burn leavened bread as a thank-offering
and brag about your freewill offerings –
boast about them, you Israelites,
for this is what you love to do,’
declares the Sovereign Lord.
6‘I gave you empty stomachs in every city
and lack of bread in every town,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
7‘I also withheld rain from you
when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
but withheld it from another.
One field had rain;
another had none and dried up.
8People staggered from town to town for water
but did not get enough to drink,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
9‘Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
destroying them with blight and mildew.
Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
10‘I sent plagues among you
as I did to Egypt.
I killed your young men with the sword,
along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
11‘I overthrew some of you
as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
12‘Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
and because I will do this to you, Israel,
prepare to meet your God.’
13He who forms the mountains,
who creates the wind,
and who reveals his thoughts to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth –
the Lord God Almighty is his name.
