Punishment Brings No Repentance

1Hear this word,

O cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria,

those oppressing the poor,

those crushing the needy,

those saying to their lords,

“Bring in, and let us drink!”

2The Lord YHWH has sworn by His holiness that,

“Behold, the days are coming upon you⁺

and He will lift you⁺ up with hooks,

and what is left of you⁺ with hooks for fishing!

3And through the breaches you⁺ will go out,

each woman straight ahead of her,

and you⁺ will be cast out to Harmon,†”

a declaration of YHWH.

4“Go to Bethel and rebel,

at Gilgal multiply rebelling,

and bring your⁺ sacrifices in the morning,

your⁺ tithes every three days.†

5And offer a sacrifice of of thanksgiving with leaven,

and call out the freewill offerings—proclaim that—

for this you⁺ love, O sons of Israel,”

a declaration of the Lord YHWH.

6“Also I have given to you⁺ cleanness of teeth† in all your⁺ cities,

and lack of bread in all your⁺ stations,

and you⁺ have not returned to Me,”

a declaration of YHWH.

7“Also I have withheld from you⁺ the rain

while still were three months until the harvest.

And I made it rain on one city,

and on one city I did not send rain;

the one portion was rained on,

and the portion where it did not rain upon it withered.

8And they would stagger off two or three cities to one city,

to drink water,

and they were not satisfied—

and still you⁺ have returned not to Me!”

An utterance of YHWH.

9“I struck you⁺ with blight and with mildew

in your growing your⁺ gardens and your⁺ vineyards

and your⁺ fig trees and your⁺ olive trees.

The locust devoured

and you⁺ have not returned to Me,”

a declaration of YHWH.

10“I sent among you⁺ a plague

in the manner of Egypt;

I killed your⁺ young men with the sword,

along with the captivity of your⁺ horses.

And the stench of your⁺ camps I even made come up to your⁺ nostrils!

And you⁺ have not returned to Me,”

a declaration of YHWH.

11“I overthrew some among you⁺,

like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah,

and you⁺ were like a firebrand† delivered from the burning—

and you⁺ have not returned to Me,”

a declaration of YHWH.

12“Therefore thus I will do

to you, O Israel,

because this I am doing to you:

Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!

13For, behold, the One forming mountains

and creating the wind,

and the One declaring to man what His thoughts,

and the One making the morning darkness,

and the One treading on the high places of the earth,

YHWH, God of Hosts, is His name.”