And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.

Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not revoke [the punishment], because they sell the righteous for money and the poor for a pair of sandals!

That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:

And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.

And flight will be impossible for the quick-footed, and the force of the strong will become feeble, and the man of war will not get away safely:

And he who is without fear among the fighting men will go in flight without his clothing in that day, says the Lord.

Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?

Doth a bird fall in a snare upon the earth where no fouler is? Taketh a man his snare up from the ground, afore he catch somewhat?

O hear this word, ye fat cows, that be upon the hill of Samaria; yea, that do poor men wrong, and oppress the needy; yea, that say to your lords, 'Bring hither, let us drink.'

I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

Hear this word, O ye house of Israel. And why? I must make this moan for you:

The virgin Israel shall fall, and never rise up again: she shall be cast down upon her own ground, and no man shall help her up.

They hate the man who, in the gate, rebuketh, - and, him who speaketh truthfully, they abhor.

So because the poor man is crushed under your feet, and you take taxes from him of grain: you have made for yourselves houses of cut stone, but you will not take your rest in them; the fair vine-gardens planted by your hands will not give you wine.

For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins--ye who afflict the just man, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the gate [from their right].

Therefore, the prudent man, at that time, will be dumb, - Because an evil time, it is!

As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and to them that are secure in the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!

ye that drink wine out of goblets, and anoint yourselves with the best oil: but no man is sorry for Joseph's hurt.

And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.

And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.

Shall horses run upon the rock? will men plough thereon with oxen? For ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,

Hear this, O ye who would swallow up a needy man, and cause the poor of the land to fail,

Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

To purchase with money the poor, And the needy for a pair of sandals, Yea, the refuse of the pure corn we sell.

Therefore shall men rove about - from sea to sea, and from the north even unto sunrise, - they shall run to and fro - seeking the word of Yahweh, but shall not find it .

In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

And if they be hid in the top of Carmel, From thence I search out, and have taken them, And if they be hid from Mine eyes in the bottom of the sea, From thence I command the serpent, And it hath bitten them.

And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.