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| 1 Hear ye this word, ye heifers of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,–who say to their lords, Bring in, and let us drink! |
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| 2 Sworn hath My Lord, Yahweh, by his own holiness, That lo! days, are coming upon you,–when he will take you away with hooks, and your followers with fishhooks; |
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| 3 And, through fissures, shall ye go out, every woman, straight before her,–and ye shall be thrust forth towards the castle, Declareth Yahweh. |
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| 4 Enter ye Bethel, and transgress, At Gilgal, cause transgression, to abound,–Yea, carry in, every morning, your sacrifices, every three days, your tithes; |
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| 5 Yea, burn thou incense, of that which is leavened, as a thank-offering, and proclaim ye freewill-offerings, let them be known,–for, so, ye love [to have it], ye sons of Israel, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh. |
With leaven – Symbol of corruption, error, sin. F464; T98
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| 6 Moreover also, I, have given you cleanness of teeth throughout all your cities, and want of bread throughout all your dwelling-places,–Yet have ye not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh. |
I also have – Whatever calamities, etc., they suffered would be proof of God's chastisement for violation of their covenant. R2356:5[R2356:7]
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| 7 Moreover also, I, have withholden from you the abundant rain, when yet there were only three mouths to the harvest, Or I might rain upon one city, and, on another city, might not rain,–One portion, would be rained upon, and, the portion whereupon it should not rain, would be dried up; |
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| 8 Then would two or three cities totter to one city to drink water, without being satisfied,–Yet have ye not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh. |
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| 9 I have smitten you with blight and with mildew, When your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees have increased, the creeping locust would devour them,–Yet have ye not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh. |
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| 10 I have sent among you pestilence, in the manner of Egypt, I have slain, with the sword, your young men, and therewith have been taken captive your horses, And I have caused to ascend–the stench of your camps, even into your own nostrils, Yet ye have not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh. |
With the sword – In war. R2356:5
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| 11 I have made an overthrew among you, like the divine overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye have become like a brand snatched out of the burning,–Yet hate ye not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh. |
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| 12 Therefore, thus, will I do unto thee, O Israel,–Because this thing I will do unto thee, Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. |
Prepare to meet thy God – From the moment we become believers and "present our bodies." (Rom. 12:1) R4234:5
Not, as usually supposed, by beginning to get pious when we feel the approach of sickness, death or calamity. R4234:6
Our meeting with him has already begun. R4234:6
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| 13 For lo! He that fashioned the mountains, and created the wind, and who telleth the son of earth what is his thought, who turneth dawn into darkness, and marcheth upon the high places of the earth, Yahweh, God of hosts, is his name! |
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