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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 transgress;
    to Gilgal—and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning,
    your tithes every three days;(A)
bring a thank offering of leavened bread
    and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;
    for so you love to do, O people of Israel!
            says the Lord God.(B)

Israel Rejects Correction

I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities
    and lack of bread in all your places;
yet you did not return to me,
            says the Lord.(C)

And I also withheld the rain from you
    when there were still three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city
    and send no rain on another city;
one field would be rained upon,
    and the field on which it did not rain withered;
so two or three towns wandered to one town
    to drink water and were not satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,
            says the Lord.(D)

I struck you with blight and mildew;
    I laid waste[a] your gardens and your vineyards;
    the locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
yet you did not return to me,
            says the Lord.(E)

10 I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
    I killed your young men with the sword;
I carried away your horses;[b]
    and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you did not return to me,
            says the Lord.(F)

11 I overthrew some of you
    as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
    and you were like a brand snatched from the fire;
yet you did not return to me,
            says the Lord.(G)

12 Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
    because I will do this to you,
    prepare to meet your God, O Israel!(H)

13 For the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind,
    reveals his thoughts to mortals,
makes the morning darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth—
    the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.9 Cn: Heb the multitude of
  2. 4.10 Heb with the captivity of your horses