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| 1 Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, that oppress the poor, that crush the needy, that say to their lords, Bring, and let us drink: |
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| 2 the Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness, that behold, days shall come upon you, when he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fish-hooks; |
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| 3 and ye shall go out by the breaches, every one straight before her, and ye shall be cast out to Harmon, saith Jehovah. |
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| 4 Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices in the morning, your tithes every three days, |
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| 5 and burn a thank-offering with leaven, and proclaim, publish, voluntary offerings: for this pleaseth you, children of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah. |
With leaven – Symbol of corruption, error, sin. F464; T98
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| 6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet ye have not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. |
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 And I also have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece of land was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. |
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| 8 And two, three, cities wandered unto one city, to drink water, and were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. |
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| 9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew; the palmer-worm hath devoured the multitude of your gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig-trees and your olive-trees: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. |
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| 10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, taking away captive your horses; and I made the stench of your camps to come up, even into your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. |
With the sword – In war. R2356:5
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| 11 I have overthrown among you, like God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. |
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| 12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: because I will do this 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 behold, he who formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, who maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, --Jehovah, the God of hosts, is his name. |
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