1 Hear this word, O ye cows of Bashan, that are on the mount of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their lords, Bring, and let us drink.

2 Sworn hath the Lord Eternal by his holiness, that, lo, days are coming over you, when men will carry you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

3 And through breaches in the wall shall ye go out, every one through that before her: and ye shall cast off your proud greatness, saith the Lord.

4 Go then to Beth–el, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; and bring in the morning your sacrifices, after three days your tithes:

5 And burn of leaven a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and proclaim and publish freewill–offerings; for so do you love to do, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord Eternal.

6 But, I also had indeed given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: and yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

7 And I also had indeed withholden from you the rain, when it was yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and upon another city I caused it not to rain; one piece of land was rained upon, and another piece whereupon it rained not became dried up;

8 And two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: and yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

9 I had smitten you with blasting and mildew; the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig–trees and your olive–trees did the caterpillar devour: and yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

10 I had sent out against you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men with the sword, together with your captive horses; and I had caused the stench of your camps to ascend even into your nostrils; and yet ye have not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

11 I had produced an overthrow among you, like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye became like a fire–brand snatched out of the burning: and yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: because then I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning–dawn and darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, ––The Lord, the God of hosts, is his name.