[1] "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are in the mountain of
Sama'ria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their
husbands, `Bring, that we may drink!' [2] The Lord GOD has sworn by his
holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take
you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. [3] And you shall
go out through the breaches, every one straight before her; and you shall
be cast forth into Harmon," says the LORD. [4] "Come to Bethel, and
transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices
every morning, your tithes every three days; [5] offer a sacrifice of
thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings,
publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!" says the Lord
GOD. [6] "I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of
bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me," says the LORD. [7]
"And I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to
the harvest; I would send rain upon one city, and send no rain upon another
city; one field would be rained upon, and the field on which it did not
rain withered; [8] so two or three cities wandered to one city to drink
water, and were not satisfied; yet you did not return to me," says the
LORD. [9] "I smote you with blight and mildew; I laid waste your gardens
and your vineyards; your fig trees and your olive trees the locust
devoured; yet you did not return to me," says the LORD. [10] "I sent among
you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men with the
sword; I carried away your horses; and I made the stench of your camp go up
into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me," says the LORD. [11] "I
overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomor'rah, and you
were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,"
says the LORD. [12] "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I
will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" [13] For lo, 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 heights of
the earth--the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!
