Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, thatarein the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
The LordGODhath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
And ye shall go out at the breaches, everycow at that which isbefore her; and ye shall casttheminto the palace, saith theLORD.
Come to Beth-el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning,andyour tithes after three years:
And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaimandpublish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the LordGOD.
And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith theLORD.
And also I have withholden the rain from you, whenthere wereyet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
So twoorthree cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith theLORD.
I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devouredthem:yet have ye not returned unto me, saith theLORD.
I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith theLORD.
I have overthrownsomeof you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith theLORD.
Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel:andbecause I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man whatishis thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, TheLORD, The God of hosts,ishis name.