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,
and you will be cast out toward 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.
Israeli Hajarudi Kwa Mungu
14:1 Za 22:12; Isa 58:6; Eze 39:18; 18:12; Amo 3:9; 2:8; 8:6; Yer 44:19Sikilizeni neno hili, ninyi ngʼombe wa Bashani
mlioko juu ya Mlima Samaria,
ninyi wanawake mnaowaonea maskini,
na kuwagandamiza wahitaji,
na kuwaambia wanaume wenu,
“Tuleteeni vinywaji!”
24:2 Amo 6:8; Isa 19:8; Yer 31:31; 2Fal 19:28; 2Nya 33:11Bwana Mwenyezi ameapa kwa utakatifu wake:
“Hakika wakati utakuja
mtakapochukuliwa na kulabu,
na wanaosalia kwa ndoana za samaki.
34:3 Eze 12:5Nanyi mtakwenda moja kwa moja
kupitia mahali palipobomolewa kwenye ukuta,
nanyi mtatupwa nje kuelekea Harmoni,”
asema Bwana.
44:4 Hos 4:15; Hes 28:3, 4; 28:3; Eze 20:39; Kum 14:28; Yos 7:2; Amo 5:21, 22“Nendeni Betheli mkatende dhambi;
nendeni Gilgali mkazidi kutenda dhambi.
Leteni dhabihu zenu kila asubuhi,
zaka zenu kila mwaka wa tatu.
5Mchome mkate uliotiwa chachu kama sadaka ya shukrani,
jisifuni kuhusu sadaka zenu za hiari:
jigambeni kwa ajili ya sadaka hizo, enyi Waisraeli,
kwa kuwa hili ndilo mnalopenda kulitenda,”
asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
64:6 Isa 9:13; 1Fal 17:1; Hag 2:17; Yer 5:3; Hos 5:15“Niliwapa njaa kwenye kila mji,
na ukosefu wa chakula katika kila mji,
hata hivyo bado hamjanirudia mimi,”
asema Bwana.
74:7 Kum 11:17; Isa 5:6; Zek 14:17; Kut 9:4, 26; 2Nya 7:13“Pia niliwazuilia ninyi mvua miezi mitatu
kabla ya kufikia mavuno.
Nilinyesha mvua kwenye mji mmoja,
lakini niliizuia mvua isinyeshe mji mwingine.
Shamba moja lilipata mvua,
na lingine halikupata, nalo likakauka.
84:8 Eze 4:16-17; Ay 36:31; Yer 14:4; 2:7; Hag 1:6Watu walitangatanga mji hata mji kutafuta maji,
lakini hawakupata ya kuwatosha kunywa,
hata hivyo hamjanirudia mimi,”
asema Bwana.
94:9 Kum 28:22; Isa 9:13; Hag 2:17; Yer 3:10; Yoe 1:7; 2:25; Kut 10:13“Mara nyingi nilizipiga bustani zenu na mashamba ya mizabibu,
niliyapiga kwa kutu na ukungu.
Nzige walitafuna tini zenu na miti ya mizeituni,
hata hivyo hamjanirudia mimi,”
asema Bwana.
104:10 Kut 9:3; 11:5; Kum 28:27; Isa 9:13, 17“Niliwapelekea tauni miongoni mwenu
kama nilivyofanya kule Misri.
Niliwaua vijana wenu wa kiume kwa upanga,
niliwachukua farasi wenu.
Nilijaza pua zenu kwa uvundo kutoka kwenye kambi zenu,
hata hivyo hamjanirudia mimi,”
asema Bwana.
114:11 Mwa 19:29; Yer 23:14; Isa 7:4; 13:19; Zek 3:2; Yud 23; Ay 36:13“Niliwaangamiza baadhi yenu kama
nilivyoangamiza Sodoma na Gomora.
Mlikuwa kama kijiti kiwakacho kilichonyakuliwa motoni,
hata hivyo hamjanirudia,”
asema Bwana.
12“Kwa hiyo hili ndilo nitakalowafanyia, Israeli,
na kwa sababu nitawafanyia hili,
jiandaeni kukutana na Mungu wenu, ee Israeli.”
134:13 Dan 2:28; Za 65:6; 135:7; Yn 2:25; Amo 9:6; 5:8, 27; Isa 47:4Yeye ambaye hufanya milima, anaumba upepo,
na kufunua mawazo yake kwa mwanadamu,
yeye ageuzaye asubuhi kuwa giza,
na kukanyaga mahali pa juu pa nchi:
Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote ndilo jina lake.
