Chapter 4

“Yet You Have Not Returned to Me”

1 Hear this word, you cows of aBashan who are on the bmountain of Samaria,

Who coppress the poor, who crush the needy,

Who say to 1your husbands, “Bring now, that we may ddrink!”

2 The Lord 1God has asworn by His bholiness,

“Behold, the days are coming upon you

When 2they will take you away with cmeat hooks,

And the last of you with dfish hooks.

3 “You will ago out through breaches in the walls,

Each one straight before her,

And you 1will be cast to Harmon,” declares the Lord.

4 “Enter Bethel and transgress;

In Gilgal multiply transgression!

aBring your sacrifices every morning,

Your tithes every three days.

5 “1Offer a athank offering also from that which is leavened,

And proclaim bfreewill offerings, make them known.

For so you clove to do, you sons of Israel,”

Declares the Lord God.

6 “But I gave you also acleanness of teeth in all your cities

And lack of bread in all your places,

Yet you have bnot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

7 “Furthermore, I awithheld the rain from you

While there were still three months until harvest.

Then I would send rain on one city

And on banother city I would not send rain;

One part would be rained on,

While the part not rained on would dry up.

8 “So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink awater,

But would bnot be satisfied;

Yet you have cnot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

9 “I asmote you with scorching wind and mildew;

And the bcaterpillar was devouring

Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees;

Yet you have cnot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

10 “I sent a aplague among you after the manner of Egypt;

I bslew your young men by the sword along with your ccaptured horses,

And I made the dstench of your camp rise up in your nostrils;

Yet you have enot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

11 “I overthrew you, as aGod overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

And you were like a bfirebrand snatched from a blaze;

Yet you have cnot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;

Because I will do this to you,

Prepare to ameet your God, O Israel.”

13 For behold, He who aforms mountains and bcreates the wind

And cdeclares to man what are His thoughts,

He who dmakes dawn into darkness

And etreads on the high places of the earth,

fThe Lord God of hosts is His name.