9  Proclaim to the strongholds in qAshdod

and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,

and say, “Assemble yourselves on rthe mountains of Samaria,

and see the great tumults within her,

and sthe oppressed in her midst.”

10  “They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord,

t“those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”

11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:

u“An adversary shall surround the land

and bring down1 your defenses from you,

and vyour strongholds shall be plundered.”

12 Thus says the Lord: w“As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, xso shall the people of Israel ywho dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part2 of a bed.

13  “Hear, zand testify against the house of Jacob,”

declares the Lord God, athe God of hosts,

14  “that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions,

bI will punish the altars of Bethel,

and cthe horns of the altar shall be cut off

and fall to the ground.

15  dI will strike ethe winter house along with fthe summer house,

and gthe houses of ivory shall perish,

and the great houses3 shall come to an end,”

declares the Lord.

4 “Hear this word, hyou cows of Bashan,

who are ion the mountain of Samaria,

jwho oppress the poor, jwho crush the needy,

who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’

2  kThe Lord God has sworn by his holiness

that, behold, the days are coming upon you,

lwhen they shall take you away with hooks,

leven the last of you with fishhooks.

3  mAnd you shall go out through the breaches,

each one straight ahead;

and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”

declares the Lord.