Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord
1Listen to the Lord’s message,
you women who live on the hill of Samaria.
You treat poor people badly.
You crush those who are in need.
You say to your husbands,
“Bring us some drinks!”
But you are already as fat
as the cows in Bashan.
2The Lord and King has made a promise
by his own holy name.
He says, “You can be sure
that the time will come
when your enemies will put hooks in your faces.
They will lead every one of you away with fishhooks.
3Each of you will go straight out
through gaps made in the wall.
You will be thrown out toward Harmon,”
announces the Lord.
4“People of Samaria, go to Bethel and sin!
Go to Gilgal! Sin there even more!
Bring your sacrifices every morning.
Every third year, bring a tenth
of everything you produce.
5Bake some bread with yeast.
Burn it as a thank offering.
Brag about the offerings you freely give.
This is what you Israelites love to do,”
announces the Lord and King.
6“I made sure your stomachs were empty in every city.
You did not have enough bread in any of your towns.
In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
announces the Lord.
7“I also held back rain from you.
The time to harvest crops
was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town.
But I held it back from another.
One field had rain.
But another had no rain and dried up.
8People wandered from town to town to look for water.
But they did not get enough to drink.
In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
announces the Lord.
9“Many times I kept your gardens and vineyards from growing.
I sent hot winds to dry them up completely.
Locusts ate up your fig and olive trees.
In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
announces the Lord.
10“I sent plagues on you,
just as I did on Egypt.
I killed your young men by swords.
I also let the horses you had captured be killed.
I filled your noses with the stink of your camps.
In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
announces the Lord.
11“I destroyed some of you,
just as I did Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning stick that was pulled out of the fire.
In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
announces the Lord.
12“So, people of Israel, I will judge you.
Because I will do that to you, Israel,
prepare to meet your God!”
13The Lord forms the mountains.
He creates the wind.
He makes his thoughts known to human beings.
He turns sunrise into darkness.
He rules over even the highest places on earth.
His name is the Lord God Who Rules Over All.
1Oíd esta palabra, vacas de Basán,
que vivís en el monte de Samaria,
que oprimís a los desvalidos
y maltratáis a los necesitados,
que decís a vuestros esposos:
«¡Traednos de beber!»
2El Señor omnipotente ha jurado por su santidad:
«Vendrán días en que hasta la última de vosotras
será arreada con garfios y arpones.
3Una tras otra saldréis por las brechas del muro,
y hacia Hermón seréis expulsadas
—afirma el Señor—.
4»Id a Betel y pecad;
id a Guilgal y seguid pecando.
Ofreced vuestros sacrificios por la mañana,
y al tercer día vuestros diezmos.
5Quemad pan leudado como ofrenda de gratitud
y proclamad ofrendas voluntarias.
Hacedlo saber a todos, israelitas;
¡eso es lo que a vosotros os encanta!
—afirma el Señor omnipotente—.
Dureza de Israel
6»Yo os hice pasar hambre en todas vuestras ciudades,
y os privé de pan en todos vuestros poblados.
Con todo, vosotros no os volvisteis a mí
—afirma el Señor—.
7»Yo os retuve la lluvia
cuando aún faltaban tres meses para la cosecha.
En una ciudad hacía llover,
pero en otra, no;
una parcela recibía lluvia,
mientras que otra, no, y se secó.
8Vagando de ciudad en ciudad, iba la gente en busca de agua,
pero no calmaba su sed.
Con todo, vosotros no os volvisteis a mí
—afirma el Señor—.
9»Castigué vuestros campos con plagas y sequía;
la langosta devoró vuestros huertos y viñedos,
vuestras higueras y olivares.
Con todo, no os volvisteis a mí
—afirma el Señor—.
10»Os mandé plagas
como las de Egipto.
Pasé por la espada a vuestros mejores jóvenes,
junto con los caballos capturados.
Hice que llegara hasta vuestras propias narices
el hedor de los cadáveres.
Con todo, no os volvisteis a mí
—afirma el Señor—.
11»Yo os envié destrucción
como la de Sodoma y Gomorra;
¡quedasteis como tizones arrebatados del fuego!
Con todo, vosotros no os volvisteis a mí
—afirma el Señor—.
12»Por eso, Israel, voy a actuar contra ti;
y, como voy a hacerlo,
¡prepárate, Israel, para encontrarte con tu Dios!»
13He aquí el que forma las montañas,
el que crea el viento,
el que revela al hombre sus designios,
el que convierte la aurora en tinieblas,
el que marcha sobre las alturas de la tierra:
su nombre es el Señor Dios Todopoderoso.
