CHAPTER 4
1 Ye fat kine, that be in the mount of Samaria, hear this word; which make false challenge to needy men, and break poor men; which say to your lords, Bring ye, and we shall drink.
2 The Lord God swore in his holy place, for lo! days shall come on you; and they shall raise you in shafts, and your remnants in boiling pots.
3 And ye shall go out by the openings, one against another, and ye shall be cast forth into Harmon, saith the Lord.
4 Come ye to Bethel, and do ye wickedly; to Gilgal, and multiply your trespassing; and offer ye early your sacrifices, in three days your tithes.
5 And sacrifice ye praising of bread made sour, and call ye for willful offerings, and tell ye about them; for ye, sons of Israel, would so, saith the Lord God.
6 Wherefore and I gave to you astonishing [or edging] of teeth in all your cities, and neediness [or need] of loaves in all your places; and ye turned not again to me, saith the Lord.
7 Also I forbad rain from you, when three months were yet to coming, till to ripe corn; and I rained on one city, and on another city I rained not; one part was berained, and the part dried upon which I rained not.
8 And twain [or two] and three cities came to one city, to drink water, and those were not [ful] filled; and ye came not again to me, saith the Lord.
9 I smote you with burning wind, and with rust, either mildew, the multitude of your orchards, and of your vineries [or vineyards]; and a wortworm ate your olive places, and your fig places; and ye came not again to me, saith the Lord.
10 I sent into you death as in the way of Egypt, I smote with sword your young men, till to the captivity of your horses, and I made the stink of your hosts to go up into your nostrils; and ye came not again to me, saith the Lord.
11 I destroyed you, as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye be made as a brand ravished out of burning; and ye turned not again to me, saith the Lord.
12 Wherefore, thou Israel, I shall do these things to thee; but after that I shall do to thee these things, Israel, be made ready into against-coming of thy God.
13 For lo! he formeth hills, and maketh wind, and telleth to man his speech; and he maketh a morrow mist, and goeth on high things of earth; the Lord God of hosts is the name of him.