1Hear these words, O ye kine of Bashan, That are on the mountain of Samaria; That oppress the poor; that crush the needy; That say to your master, Bring, and let us drink!

2The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness; Behold, the days shall come upon you When ye shall be taken away with hooks, And your residue with fishing-hooks.

3And ye shall go out at the breaches, every one right forward, And ye shall be thrown into a castle, saith Jehovah.

4Go, now, to Bethel, and transgress; At Gilgal multiply transgression! Bring your sacrifices every morning, And your tithes every three years!

5Burn a thank-offering from your extortions, And proclaim the free-will offerings; publish them abroad! For this is your delight, ye sons of Israel, Saith the Lord, Jehovah.

6I also have caused cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And want of bread in all your places; And yet ye have not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

7I also have withholden from you the rain three months before the harvest; I have caused it to rain upon one city, And upon another city have I not caused it to rain; One piece of ground hath been rained upon, And another, upon which I have not caused it to rain, hath withered.

8Two or three cities have gone to one city, To drink water, and have not been satisfied; And yet ye have not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

9I have smitten you with blasting and mildew; The locust hath devoured your many gardens, Your vineyards, your fig-trees, and your olive-trees; Yet have ye not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

10I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I have slain your young men with the sword, And your horses have I led into captivity; I have made the smell of your camps to come up into your nostrils; And yet ye have not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

11I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah; And ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning; And yet ye have not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

12Therefore thus will I deal with thee, O Israel! Yet since I will thus deal with thee, Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel!

13For behold, he formed the mountains, and created the wind; He declareth to man what is his thought; He maketh the morning darkness, And walketh upon the high places of the earth; Jehovah, God of hosts, is his name.