1 “Listen to this, you cows of Bashangrazing on the slopes of Samaria.You women! Mean to the poor,cruel to the down-and-out!Indolent and pampered, you demand of your husbands,‘Bring us a tall, cool drink!’
2-3 “This is serious—I, God, have sworn by my holiness!Be well warned: Judgment Day is coming!They’re going to rope you up and haul you off,keep the stragglers in line with cattle prods.They’ll drag you through the ruined city walls,forcing you out single file,And kick you to kingdom come.”God’s Decree.
4-5 “Come along to Bethel and sin!And then to Gilgal and sin some more!Bring your sacrifices for morning worship.Every third day bring your tithe.Burn pure sacrifices—thank offerings.Speak up—announce freewill offerings!That’s the sort of religious showyou Israelites just love.”God’s Decree.
6 “You know, don’t you, that I’m the Onewho emptied your pantries and cleaned out your cupboards,Who left you hungry and standing in bread lines?But you never got hungry for me. You continued to ignore me.”God’s Decree.
7-8 “Yes, and I’m the One who stopped the rainsthree months short of harvest.I’d make it rain on one villagebut not on another.I’d make it rain on one fieldbut not on another—and that one would dry up.People would stagger from village to villagecrazed for water and never quenching their thirst.But you never got thirsty for me.You ignored me.”God’s Decree.