down thy fortresses
and plundered shall be thy palaces." Thus saith Jehovah: "As the
shepherd saveth from the mouth of the lion, a pair of shin bones or a
bit of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be saved--they who sit
in Samaria in the corner of the divan and on a Damascus couch."

"Hear ye, and testify against the house of Jacob"--saith the Lord God
of Hosts. "For on the days when I visit the crimes of Israel upon him,
I shall there make visitation upon the altars of Bethel, and the horns
of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. And I will smite
the winter house, and the summer house, and the ivory houses shall
perish, yea, swept away shall be houses many"-- oracle of Jehovah.

Hear this word, women of Israel, kine of Bashan that are in the mount
of Samaria, that oppress the poor, that crush the needy, that say to
their lords, "Bring, and let us {360} drink." Sworn hath the Lord
Jehovah by his holiness, lo! days are coming when there shall be a
taking away of you with hooks, and of the last of you with fish-hooks.
Yea, by the breaches (in the wall of the stormed city) shall ye go
out, everyone headlong, and ye shall fling yourselves out on the
mountains as a refuge.

IV

FALSE WORSHIP. THE CHASTISEMENT OF THE LORD

Come away to Bethel and transgress!

At Gilgal exaggerate your transgressions!

And bring every morning your sacrifices.

Every three days your tithes!

And send up the savour of leavened bread as a thank-offering.

And call out your charities--make them to be heard!

For so ye loved to do, a children of Israel--saith the Lord.

But I on my side withheld from you the winter rain, while it was still
three months to the harvest, and I let it rain repeatedly on one city,
and upon one city I did not let it rain: one piece was rained upon,
and the piece that was not rained upon withered: and two or three
cities kept struggling to one city for water, and were not
satisfied--yet ye did not return to me--saith the Lord.

I smote you with blasting and with mildew: many of your gardens and
your vineyards and your figs and your olives the locust devoured--yet
ye did not return to me--saith the Lord.

{361}

I overturned among you, like God's own overturning of Sodom and
Gomorrah, till ye became as a brand plucked from the burning--yet ye
did not return to me--saith the Lord.

Therefore, thus shall I do to thee, O Israel: because I am going to do
this to thee, prepare to meet t