1 “Yet You Have Not Returned to Me” Hear this word, you [well-fed, pampered] cows (women) of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria,Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,Who say to their husbands, “Bring [the wine] now, and let us drink!”
2 The Lord Ghas sworn [an oath] by His holinessThat, “Behold, the days are coming upon youWhen they shall take you away with meat hooks,And the last of you with fish hooks.
3 And you shall go out through the breaches [made in the city wall],Every woman straight before her [unable to turn aside],And you shall be cast toAn unknown place of exile.Harmon,”Says the L.
4 “Come to Bethel [where the golden calf is] and transgress;In Gilgal [where idols are worshiped] multiply transgression;Bring your sacrifices every morning,Your tithes every three days!
5 The sarcasm of vv 5, 6 underscores the disobedience and hypocrisy of the Israelites.Offer [by burning] a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,And [boastfully] proclaim freewill offerings, announce them.For this you so love to do, O children of Israel!”Says the Lord G.
6 “I also gave you cleanness of teeth [because of the famine] in all your citiesAnd lack of bread in all your places,Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the L.
7 “Furthermore, I withheld the rain from youWhenthere werestill three months until the harvest.Then I would send rain on one city,And on another city I would not send rain;One piece of ground was rained on,While the part not rained on would dry up.
8 So [the people of] two or three cities would stagger into one city to drink water,But would not be satisfied;Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the L.
9 “I wounded you with blight [from the hot, blasting east wind] and with mildew;And the caterpillar devouredYour many gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees;Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the L.
10 “I sent a plague among you like [those of] Egypt;I killed your young men with the sword and I captured your horses,I made the stench of your camp rise up into your nostrils;Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the L.
11 “I overthrewanddestroyed [some among] you, as [I, your] God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,And you were [rescued] like a log pulled out of the flame;Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the L.
12 “Therefore this is what I shall do to you, O Israel;Because I will do this to you,Prepare to meet your God [in judgment], O Israel!”
13 For behold, He who forms the mountains and creates the windAnd declares to man what are His thoughts,He who makes the dawn into darknessAnd treads on the heights of the earth—The LGod of hosts is His name.