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“Go to Bethel, and sin;
    to Gilgal, and sin more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
    your tithes every three days,
    offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,
    and proclaim free will offerings and brag about them:
    for this pleases you, you children of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.
“I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
    and lack of bread in every town;
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
“I also have withheld the rain from you,
    when there were yet three months to the harvest;
    and I caused it to rain on one city,
    and caused it not to rain on another city.
One field was rained on,
    and the field where it didn’t rain withered.
So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water,
    and were not satisfied:
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
“I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards;
    and the swarming locusts have devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
10 “I sent plagues among you like I did Egypt.
    I have slain your young men with the sword,
    and have carried away your horses;
    and I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp,
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
11 “I have overthrown some of you,
    as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
    and you were like a burning stick plucked out of the fire;
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, Israel;
    because I will do this to you,
    prepare to meet your God, Israel.
13 For, behold, he who forms the mountains,
    and creates the wind,
    and declares to man what is his thought;
    who makes the morning darkness,
    and treads on the high places of the earth:
    Yahweh, the God of Armies, is his name.”

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Come to Bethel and rebel;
rebel even more at Gilgal!(A)
Bring your sacrifices every morning,(B)
your tenths every three days.
Offer leavened bread as a thanksgiving sacrifice,(C)
and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings,(D)
for that is what you Israelites love to do!(E)

This is the declaration of the Lord God.

God’s Discipline and Israel’s Apostasy

I gave you absolutely nothing to eat[a](F) in all your cities,
a shortage of food in all your communities,
yet you did not return to me.(G)
This is the Lord’s declaration.

I also withheld the rain from you(H)
while there were still three months until harvest.
I sent rain on one city
but no rain on another.(I)
One field received rain
while a field with no rain withered.(J)
Two or three cities staggered
to another city to drink water(K)
but were not satisfied,(L)
yet you did not return(M) to me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

I struck you with blight and mildew;(N)
the locust devoured(O)
your many gardens and vineyards,
your fig trees and olive trees,(P)
yet you did not return to me.(Q)
This is the Lord’s declaration.

10 I sent plagues like those of Egypt;(R)
I killed your young men with the sword,(S)
along with your captured horses.(T)
I caused the stench of your camp
to fill your nostrils,(U)
yet you did not return to me.(V)
This is the Lord’s declaration.

11 I overthrew some of you
as I[b] overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,(W)
and you were like a burning stick
snatched from a fire,(X)
yet you did not return to me(Y)
This is the Lord’s declaration.

12 Therefore, Israel, that is what I will do to you,
and since I will do that to you,
Israel, prepare to meet your God!(Z)
13 He is here:
the one who forms the mountains,(AA)
creates the wind,(AB)
and reveals his thoughts to man,(AC)
the one who makes the dawn out of darkness
and strides on the heights of the earth.(AD)
The Lord, the God of Armies, is his name.(AE)

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Footnotes

  1. 4:6 Lit you cleanness of teeth
  2. 4:11 Lit God