3. This is what the Lord GOD says: “Officers leaving the city with 1000 men will return with only 100 men. Officers leaving the city with 100 men will return with only ten men.”
4. The Lord says this to the nation of Israel: “Come looking for me and live.
5. But don’t look in Bethel. Don’t go to Gilgal. Don’t cross the border and go down to Beersheba. The people of Gilgal will be taken away as prisoners, and Bethel will be destroyed.
6. Come to the Lord and live. If you don’t go to him, a fire will start at Joseph’s house, and no one in Bethel can stop it.
7-9. You should go to the Lord for help. He is the one who made the Pleiades and Orion. He changes darkness into the morning light. He changes the day into the dark night. He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the earth. His name is YAHWEH! He keeps one strong city safe, and he lets another strong city be destroyed.” You change justice to poison. You throw away fairness like trash.
10. You hate those prophets, who go to public places and speak against evil, even though they teach good, simple truths.
11. You take unfair taxes from the poor. You take loads of wheat from them. You build fancy houses with cut stone, but you will not live in them. You plant beautiful vineyards, but you will not drink the wine from them.
12. This is because I know about your many sins. You have done some very bad things: You hurt people who do right, you accept money to do wrong, and you keep the poor from receiving justice in court.
13. At that time wise teachers will be quiet, because it is a bad time.
14. You say that God is with you, so you should do good things, not evil. Then you will live, and the Lord God All-Powerful will be with you.
15. Hate evil and love goodness. Bring justice back into the courts. Maybe then the Lord God All-Powerful will be kind to the survivors from Joseph’s family.
16. The Lord, the Lord God All-Powerful says, “People will be crying in the public places. They will be crying in the streets. They will hire the professional criers.
17. People will be crying in the vineyards, because I will pass through and punish you.” This is what the Lord said.
18. Some of you want to see the Lord’S special day of judgment. Why do you want to see that day of the Lord? His special day will bring darkness, not light.
19. You will be like someone who escapes from a lion only to be attacked by a bear, or like someone who goes into the safety of his house, leans against the wall, and is bitten by a snake.