1. Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who are on the hill of Samaria,women who oppress the poorand crush the needy, who say to their husbands,“Bring us something to drink.”
2. The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: Look, the days are coming when you will be taken away with hooks, every last one of you with fishhooks.
3. You will go through breaches in the wall, each woman straight ahead,and you will be driven along toward Harmon.This is the Lord’s declaration.
4. Come to Bethel and rebel;rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tenths every three days.
5. Offer leavened bread as a thank offering, and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings, for that is what you Israelites love to do! This is the Lord’s declaration.
6. I gave you absolutely nothing to eat in all your cities,a shortage of food in all your communities,yet you did not return to Me. This is the Lord’s declaration.
7. I also withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest.I sent rain on one citybut no rain on another. One field received rainwhile a field with no rain withered.
8. Two or three cities staggeredto another city to drink water but were not satisfied, yet you did not return to Me.This is the Lord’s declaration.
9. I struck you with blight and mildew; the locust devoured your many gardens and vineyards,your fig trees and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me. This is the Lord’s declaration.
10. I sent plagues like those of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I caused the stench of your campto fill your nostrils, yet you did not return to Me. This is the Lord’s declaration.
11. I overthrew some of youas I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning sticksnatched from a fire, yet you did not return to Me —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!
13. He is here:the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, the One who makes the dawn out of darknessand strides on the heights of the earth. Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name.