Social and Spiritual Corruption
1Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan v
who are on the hill of Samaria,
women who oppress the poor
and crush the needy, w
who say to their husbands,
“Bring us something to drink.” x
2 The Lord GOD has sworn y by his holiness: z
Look, the days are coming I
when you will be taken away with hooks, a
every last one of you with fishhooks. b
3 You will go through breaches in the wall, c
each woman straight ahead,
and you will be driven along toward Harmon.
This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.
4 Come to Bethel and rebel;
rebel even more at Gilgal! d
Bring your sacrifices every morning, e
your tenths every three days.
5 Offer leavened bread as a thank offering, f
and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings, g
for that is what you Israelites love to do! h
This is the LORD’S declaration.
God’s Discipline and Israel’s Apostasy
6 I gave you absolutely nothing to eat J,i
in all your cities,
a shortage of food in all your communities,
yet you did not return to me. j
This is the LORD’S declaration.
7 I also withheld the rain from you k
while there were still three months until harvest.
I sent rain on one city
but no rain on another. l
One field received rain
while a field with no rain withered. m
8 Two or three cities staggered
to another city to drink water n
but were not satisfied, o
yet you did not return p to me.
This is the LORD’S declaration.
9 I struck you with blight and mildew; q
the locust devoured r
your many gardens and vineyards,
your fig trees and olive trees, s
yet you did not return to me. t
This is the LORD’S declaration.
10 I sent plagues like those of Egypt; u
I killed your young men with the sword, v
along with your captured horses. w
I caused the stench of your camp
to fill your nostrils, x
yet you did not return to me. y
This is the LORD’S declaration.
as I K overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, z
and you were like a burning stick
snatched from a fire, a
yet you did not return to me b—
This is the LORD’S declaration.
12 Therefore, Israel, that is what I will do to you,
and since I will do that to you,
Israel, prepare to meet your God! c
the one who forms the mountains, d
creates the wind, e
and reveals his thoughts to man, f
the one who makes the dawn out of darkness
and strides on the heights of the earth. g
The LORD, the God of Armies, is his name. h