The Minor Prophets

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There are twelve books of minor prophets:  Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

One of the minor prophets, Amos, spoke words for God, and then was challenged.

In Amos chapter 7:

12 Also Amaziah said to Amos, "O you seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there,

13 But don't prophesy again anymore at Bethel, for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court."

14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor was I a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit,

15 And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, go, prophesy to my people Israel."

Amos had been a shepherd.  But God made him a prophet.  He wasn't about to apologize for doing what God sent him to do.  Many of the prophets have been challenged.  Jeremiah was thrown into the dungeon.  But prophets do important work, whether the people listen or not.

Another of the minor prophets is Jonah, who got himself swallowed by a whale for disobeying God.  So Jonah spent three days in what he described as “the belly of hell,” before the whale spat him out, after which, Jonah still had to obey God and preach to Nineveh.

I guess God noticed, as he was creating the whales, that some of them would be large enough to swallow a man.  No doubt, that’s part of why he made them that size.

So then, a better plan for Jonah would have been, when God told him to go preach to Nineveh, just go do what God said, and skip the part about the inside of a whale.

But Jonah did a good job preaching to Nineveh, and that city did an about-face, to use a military term.  I’ll be glad to share heaven with Jonah.

A modern-day man of God was Lester Sumrall of LESEA Broadcasting.  In his youth, Sumrall was called by God to be a preacher.  But Sumrall didn’t like the idea.

So the Lord let Sumrall come down with Tuberculosis.  The day came when the doctor didn’t think Sumrall would make it through the night.  That night, God gave Sumrall a vision.

In the vision, Sumrall saw a large Bible on one side, and a large coffin on the other side.  The Lord said to Sumrall, “This night, you’ll choose one or the other.”  So Sumrall was either going to choose to be a preacher, or die.

Sumrall said, “Well, I guess I’ll be a preacher.”  God healed him of the TB.  I think Sumrall made the right choice, don’t you?

Years later, my friend Joe, an Engineer where I was employed, went with me to hear Sumrall speak in Cupertino, Calif.  Afterward, Joe said, “That’s the best preaching I ever heard.”

I also choose to do the Priest’s work that the Lord has called me to do, and just skip the part about the whale.

___Hosea chapter 1

1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea.  And the Lord said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms, for the land has committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord."

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, who conceived, and bore him a son.

4 And the Lord said to him, "Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause to stop the kingdom of the house of Israel.

5 And it shall happen at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."

6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter.  And God said to him, "Call her name Loruhamah, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, but I will completely take them away.

7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen."

8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.

9 Then said God, "Call his name Loammi, for you are not my people, and I will not be your God.

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, that can't be measured nor numbered, and it shall occur that in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there it shall be said to them, you are the sons of the living God.

11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land, for the day of Jezreel shall be great."

___Hosea chapter 2

1 "Say you to your brothers, Ammi, and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

2 Plead with your mother, plead, for she is not my wife, nor am I her husband, let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts,

3 So that I don't strip her naked, and set her like in the day that she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and kill her with thirst.

4 And I will not have mercy on her children, for they are the children of whoredoms.

5 For their mother has played the harlot, she that conceived them has done shamefully, for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.

6 Therefore, see, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and make a wall, so that she won't find her paths.

7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them, and she shall seek them, but shall not find them, then she shall say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now.

8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

9 Therefore I will return, and take away my corn in the time of it, and my wine in the season of it, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.

10 And now I will discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall deliver her out of my hand.

11 I will also cause all her mirth to stop, her feast days, her new moons, and her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

12 And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, about which she has said, these are my rewards that my lovers have given me, and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.

13 And I will visit on her the days of Baalim, in which she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgot me, says the Lord.

14 Therefore, see, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her.

15 And I will give her her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope, and she shall sing there, like in the days of her youth, and like in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

16 And it shall be at that day, says the Lord, that you'll call me Ishi, and shall no more call me Baali.

17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

18 And on that day I'll make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground, and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them lie down safely.

19 And I will betroth you to me forever, yes, I'll betroth you to me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies.

20 I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you'll know the Lord.

21 And it shall occur on that day, I will hear, says the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth,

22 And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel.

23 And I will plant her to me in the earth, and I will have mercy on her that had not obtained mercy, and I will say to those who were not my people, you are my people, and they shall say, you are my God."

___Hosea chapter 3

1 Then the Lord said to me, "Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine."

2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver, and for one and one half homers of barley,

3 And I said to her, "You shall abide for me many days, you shall not play the harlot, and you shall not be for another man, so will I also be for you."

4 For the children of Israel shall live many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim,

5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

___Hosea chapter 4

1 Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood.

3 Therefore the land shall mourn, and everyone that lives in it shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, yes, the fish of the sea also shall be taken away.

4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove someone else, for your people are like those who strive with the priest.

5 Therefore you'll fall during the day, and the prophet also shall fall with you at night, and I will destroy your mother.

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because you've rejected knowledge, I'll also reject you, so that you'll be no priest to me.  Since you've forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me, therefore will I change their glory into shame.

8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their sin.

9 And there shall be, like people, like priest, and I will punish them for their ways, and repay them for their doings.

10 For they shall eat and not have enough, they'll commit whoredom, and shall not increase, because they've left off to pay attention to the Lord.

11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

12 My people ask advice from their stocks, and their staff declares to them, for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to err, and they've gone whoring from under their God.

13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow of them is good, therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

14 I won't punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery, for they themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with prostitutes, therefore the people that do not understand shall fall.

15 Though you, Israel, play the harlot, yet let Judah not offend, and don't go to Gilgal, and don't go up to Bethaven, nor swear "The Lord lives."

16 For Israel slides back like a backsliding young cow, now the Lord will feed them like a lamb in a large place.

17 Ephraim has joined up with idols, let him alone.

18 Their drink is sour, they've committed whoredom continually, her rulers love with shame, give.

19 The wind has bound her up in her wings, and they'll be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

___Hosea chapter 5

1 Hear this, O priests, and listen, you house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king, for judgment is facing you, because you've been a trap on Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.

2 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I've been a reprimander of them all.

3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me, for now, O Ephraim, you commit whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

4 They will not arrange their doings to turn to their God, for the spirit of whoredoms is among them, and they haven't known the Lord.

5 And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their sin, Judah also shall fall with them.

6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they won't find him, he has withdrawn himself from them.

7 They've dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten strange children, now a month shall devour them with their portions.

8 Blow the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah, cry out loud at Bethaven, after you, O Benjamin.

9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of reprimand, among the tribes of Israel I've made known what shall surely be.

10 The princes of Judah were like those who remove the boundary, therefore I'll pour out my anger on them like water.

11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

12 Therefore will I be to Ephraim like a moth, and to the house of Judah like rottenness.

13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb, yet he couldn't heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

14 For I will be to Ephraim like a lion, and like a young lion to the house of Judah, I, even I, will tear and go away, I will take away, and no one shall rescue him.

15 I will go and return to my place, 'til they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face, in their affliction they'll seek me early.

___Hosea chapter 6

1 Come, and let us return to the Lord, for he has torn and he will heal us, he has struck and he will bandage us.

2 After two days he'll revive us, on the third day he'll raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

3 Then we'll know, if we follow on to know the Lord, his going out is prepared like the morning, and he'll come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.

4 O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?  O Judah, what shall I do to you?  For your goodness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away.

5 Therefore I've cut them by the prophets, I've killed them by the words of my mouth, and your judgments are like the light that goes out.

6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7 But they, like men, have transgressed the covenant, they have dealt treacherously against me there.

8 Gilead is a city of those who sin, and is polluted with blood.

9 And like troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent, for they commit lewdness.

10 I've seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel, the whoredom of Ephraim is there, Israel is defiled.

11 Also, O Judah, he has set a harvest for you, when I returned the captivity of my people.

___Hosea chapter 7

1 When I would have healed Israel, then the sin of Ephraim was uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria, for they commit falsehood, and the thief comes in, and the troop of robbers spoils outside.

2 And they don't consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness, now their own doings have surrounded them, they are before my face.

3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

4 They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker, who stops from raising after he has kneaded the dough, until it's leavened.

5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine, he stretched out his hand with scorners.

6 For they've made their heart ready like an oven, while they lie in wait, their baker sleeps all night, in the morning it burns like a flaming fire.

7 They are all hot like an oven, and have devoured their judges, all their kings have fallen, there is no one among them that calls to me.

8 Ephraim, he has mixed himself among the people, Ephraim is a pancake that doesn't get flipped over.

9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he doesn't know it, yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, but he doesn't know it.

10 And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, and they don't return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all of this.

11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart, they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12 When they shall go, I'll spread my net on them, I'll bring them down like the fowls of the heaven, I'll chastise them, like their congregation has heard.

13 Woe to them!  For they've fled from me, destruction to them!  Because they've transgressed against me, though I've redeemed them, yet they've spoken lies against me.

14 And they haven't cried to me with their heart, when they howled on their beds, they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

15 Though I've bandaged and strengthened their arms, yet they imagine mischief against me.

16 They return, but not to the most high, they are like a deceitful bow, their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue, this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

___Hosea chapter 8

1 Set the trumpet to your mouth.  He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they've transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.

2 Israel shall cry to me, "My God, we know you."

3 Israel has cast off the thing that is good, the enemy shall pursue him.

4 They have set up kings, but not by me, they have made princes, and I didn't know it, they've they made themselves idols out of their silver and their gold, so that they'll be cut off.

5 Your calf, O Samaria, has thrown you away, my anger is kindled against them, how long will it be before they become innocent?

6 For it was from Israel also, the workman made it, therefore it is not God, but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

7 For they've planted the wind, and they shall harvest the whirlwind, it has no stalk, the bud shall yield no meal, if it does yield anything, the strangers shall swallow it up.

8 Israel has been swallowed up, now they'll be among the Gentiles like a container in which is no pleasure.

9 For they've gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself, Ephraim has hired lovers.

10 Yes, though they have hired among the nations, now I'll gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

11 Because Ephraim has made many altars to sin, altars shall be for him to sin.

12 I've written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted like a strange thing.

13 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of my offerings, and eat it, but the Lord doesn't accept them, now he'll remember their iniquity, and visit their sins, they'll return to Egypt.

14 For Israel has forgotten his maker, and builds temples, and Judah has multiplied fenced cities, but I'll send a fire on his cities, and it shall devour the palaces of it.

___Hosea chapter 9

1 Don't rejoice, O Israel, for joy, like other people, for you've gone whoring from your God, you have loved a bribe on every corn floor.

2 The floor and the winepress won't feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

3 They won't live in the Lord's land, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they'll eat unclean things in Assyria.

4 They won't offer wine offerings to the Lord, nor shall they be pleasing to him, their sacrifices shall be to them like the bread of mourners, all that eat of it shall be polluted, for their bread that is for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord.

5 What will you do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?

6 For see, they are gone because of destruction, Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them, the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them, thorns shall be in their tents.

7 The days of visitation have come, the days of repayment have come, Israel shall know it, the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane, for the multitude of your sins, and the great hatred.

8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God, but the prophet is a trap of a bird catcher in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.

9 They've deeply corrupted themselves, like in the days of Gibeah, therefore he'll remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, I saw your fathers like the first ripe in the fig tree at her first time, but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves to that shame, and their dirty things were according as they loved.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

12 Though they bring up their children, yet I'll bereave them, so that there won't be a man left, yes, woe also to them when I depart from them!

13 Ephraim, like I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place, but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the murderer.

14 Give them, O Lord, what will you give?  Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for I hated them there, for the wickedness of their doings I'll drive them out of my house, I will love them no more, all their princes are revolters.

16 Ephraim has been struck, their root has dried up, they won't bear any fruit, yes, though they bring forth, yet I'll kill even the beloved fruit of their womb.

17 My God will throw them away, because they didn't listen to him, and they'll be wanderers among the nations.

___Hosea chapter 10

1 Israel is an empty vine, he produces fruit for himself, according to the multitude of his fruit he has increased the altars, according to the goodness of his land they've made goodly images.

2 Their heart is divided, now they'll be found faulty, he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.

3 For now they'll say, "We have no king, because we didn't fear the Lord, what then would a king do to us?"

4 They've spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant, thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven, for the people of it shall mourn over it, and the priests of it that rejoiced on it, for the glory of it, because it had departed from it.

6 It shall also be carried to Assyria for a present to king Jareb, Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own advice.

7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off like the foam on the water.

8 The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed, the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, cover us, and to the hills, fall on us.

9 O Israel, you've sinned from the days of Gibeah, they stood there, the battle in Gibeah against the children of sin didn't overtake them.

10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them, and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

11 And Ephraim is like a heifer that is taught, and loves to tread out the corn, but I passed over on her fair neck, I will make Ephraim to ride, Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.

12 Plant to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, 'til he comes and rains righteousness on you.

13 You've plowed wickedness, you've reaped sin, you've eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your way, in the multitude of your mighty men.

14 Therefore a tumult shall arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be spoiled, like Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle, the mother was smashed in pieces on her children.

15 So shall Bethel do to you because of your great wickedness, in a morning the king of Israel shall completely be cut off.

___Hosea chapter 11

1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

2 As they called them, so they went from them, they sacrificed to Baalim, and burned incense to engraved images.

3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms, but they didn't know that I healed them.

4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them like those who take off the yoke from their jaws, and I gave food to them.

5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.

6 And the sword shall remain on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own advice.

7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me, though they called them to the most high, no one at all would exalt him.

8 How shall I give you up, Ephraim?  How shall I give you deliverance, Israel?  How shall I make you like Admah?  How shall I set you as Zeboim?  Mine heart has turned inside me, my repentings are kindled together.

9 I will not execute the fierceness of my anger, I won't return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God, and not man, the Holy one among you, and I won't enter into the city.

10 They shall walk after the Lord, he shall roar like a lion, when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.

11 They shall tremble like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove out of the land of Assyria, and I'll place them in their houses, says the Lord.

12 Ephraim surrounds me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah yet rules with God, and is faithful with the saints.

___Hosea chapter 12

1 Ephraim feeds on wind, and pursues the east wind, he increases lies and desolation daily, and they make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.

2 The Lord also has a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways, he will repayment him according to his doings.

3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God,

4 Yes, he had power over the angel, and prevailed, he wept, and made supplication to him, he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us,

5 Even the Lord God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial.

6 Therefore turn to your God, keep mercy and judgment, and wait on your God continually.

7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand, he loves to oppress.

8 And Ephraim said, "Yet I've become rich, I've found myself substance, in all my labors they won't find any iniquity in me that is sin."

9 And I that am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt will yet make you to live in tents, like in the days of the solemn feast.

10 I've also spoken by the prophets, and I've multiplied visions, and used likenesses, by the ministry of the prophets.

11 Is there sin in Gilead?  Surely they are vanity, they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal, yes, their altars are like heaps in the furrows of the fields.

12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

13 And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.

14 Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly, therefore he'll leave his blood on him, and his Lord shall return to him his reproach.

___Hosea chapter 13

1 When Ephraim trembled as he spoke, he exalted himself in Israel, but when he offended with Baal, he died.

2 And now they sin more and more, and have made for themselves images from their silver, by casting in the foundry, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen, they say about them, "Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves."

3 Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud, and like the early dew that passes away, like the chaff that gets driven by the whirlwind out of the floor, and like the smoke out of the chimney.

4 Yet I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, and you'll know no god but me, for there is no savior beside me.

5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

6 According to their pasture, so they were filled.  They were filled, and their heart was exalted, therefore they've forgotten me.

7 Therefore I will be to them like a lion, I'll observe them like a leopard by the road,

8 I'll meet them like a bear that's been robbed of her whelps, and will tear the caul of their heart, and I'll devour them there like a lion, the wild beast shall tear them.

9 O Israel, you've destroyed yourself, but in me is your help.

10 I will be your king, where is any other that can save you in all your cities?  And your judges about whom you said, "Give me a king and princes"?

11 I gave you a king in my anger, and took him away in my anger.

12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hidden.

13 The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come on him, he is an unwise son, for he shouldn't stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death, O death, I will be your plagues, O grave, I will be your destruction, repentance shall be hidden from my eyes.

15 Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up, he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant containers.

16 Samaria shall become desolate, for she has rebelled against her God, they shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be smashed in pieces, and their pregnant women shall be ripped up.

___Hosea chapter 14

1 O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you've fallen by your sin.

2 Take with you words, and turn to the Lord, say to him, "Take away all sin, and receive us graciously, so we will give the calves of our lips."

3 Asshur shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, "You are our gods, for in you the fatherless finds mercy."

4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for my anger has turned away from him.

5 I will be like the dew to Israel, he shall grow like the lily, and put out his roots like Lebanon.

6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his smell like Lebanon.

7 Those who live under his shadow shall return, they'll revive like the corn, and grow like the vine, the scent of it shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

8 Ephraim shall say, "What do I have to do with idols anymore?"  I've heard him, and observed him, I am like a green fir tree.  Your fruit is found from me.

9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?  Prudent, and he shall know them?  For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall in it.

___Joel chapter 1

1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

2 Hear this, you old men, and listen, all you inhabitants of the land.  Has this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?

3 Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

4 That which the palmerworm has left, the locust has eaten, and that which the locust has left, the canker worm has eaten, and that which the canker worm has left the caterpillar has eaten.

5 Awake you drunkards, and cry, and howl, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is not available to your mouth.

6 For a nation has come up on my land, strong, and uncountable, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the cheek teeth of a large lion.

7 He has laid my vine waste, and debarked my fig tree, he has made it completely bare, and thrown it away, the branches of it have been made white.

8 Lament like a virgin clothed with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

9 The meat offering and the drink offering have been cut off from the house of the Lord, the priests, the Lord's ministers, mourn.

10 The field has become wasted, the land mourns, for the corn has become wasted, the new wine has been dried up, the oil languishes.

11 Be ashamed O you farmers, howl, O you vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.

12 The vine has become dried up, and the fig tree languishes, the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field are withered, because joy has withered away from the sons of men.

13 Dress yourselves and lament you priests, howl, you ministers of the altar, come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the meat offering and the drink offering have been withheld from the house of your God.

14 Make holy a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry to the Lord,

15 Alas for the day!  For the day of the Lord is at hand, and it shall come like a destruction from the Almighty.

16 Isn't the meat cut off before our eyes, yes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?

17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down, for the corn is withered.

18 Look at how the animals groan!  The herds of cattle are perplexed because they have no pasture, yes, the flocks of sheep have been made desolate.

19 "O Lord, to you I'll cry, for the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all the trees of the field.

20 The beasts of the field also cry to you, for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness."

___Joel chapter 2

1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord comes, for it is close at hand,

2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, like the morning spread on the mountains, a great people and a strong, there has never been the like, nor shall there be after it anymore, even to the years of many generations.

3 A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns, the land is like the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness, yes, and nothing shall escape them.

4 The appearance of them is like the appearance of horses, and like horsemen, so they shall run.

5 They'll leap like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, like a strong people set in battle array.

6 Before their face, the people shall be much pained, all faces shall gather blackness.

7 They shall run like mighty men, they shall climb the wall like men of war, and each of them shall march on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks,

8 Nor shall they push each other, they shall walk everyone in his path, and when they fall on the sword, they won't be wounded.

9 They shall run back and forth in the city, they shall run on the wall, they shall climb up on the houses, they shall enter into the windows like a burglar.

10 The earth shall quake before them, the heavens shall tremble, the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining,

11 And the Lord shall speak his voice before his army, for his camp is very great, for he is strong that executes his word, for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can survive it?

12 Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning,

13 And tear your heart, not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and has changed his mind about the evil.

14 Who knows if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meat offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, make holy a fast, call a solemn assembly,

16 Gather the people, make the congregation holy, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those who suck the breasts, let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her closet.

17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, cry between the porch and the altar, and let them say, spare your people, O Lord, and don't give your heritage to reproach, so that the heathen will rule over them, so they would say among the people, where is their God?

18 Then the Lord will be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

19 Yes, the Lord will answer and say to his people, see, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and you'll be satisfied with that, and I won't again make you a reproach among the heathen,

20 But I'll remove the northern army far off from you, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his rear end toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his bad odor shall come up, because he has done great things.

21 Don't be afraid, O land, be glad and rejoice, for the Lord will do great things.

22 Don't be afraid, you animals of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness spring up water, for the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, the canker worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army that I sent among you.

26 And you'll eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God that has dealt wondrously with you, and my people shall never be ashamed.

27 And you'll know that I am among Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and no one else, and my people shall never be ashamed.

28 And it shall occur afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions,

29 And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days I will pour out my spirit.

30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord comes.

32 And whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered, for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, like the Lord has said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

___Joel chapter 3

1 For see, in those days, and at that time, when I undo the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided my land.

3 And they have drawn straws for my people, and have given a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, so they can drink.

4 Yes, and what do you have to do with me, O Tyre and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine?  Will you give me a repayment?  And if you repay me, swiftly and speedily, I'll return your repayment on your own head,

5 Because you've taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly, pleasant things,

6 You've also sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the Greeks, so you could remove them far from their border.

7 See, I will raise them out of the place where you've sold them, and will return your repayment on your own head,

8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off, for the Lord has spoken it.

9 Proclaim this among the Gentiles, prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war come near, let them come up,

10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears, let the weak say, I am strong.

11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all you heathen, and gather yourselves all around, cause your mighty ones to come down there, O Lord.

12 Let the heathen be awakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for I will sit to judge all the heathen around there.

13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe, come, get down, for the press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall stop their shining.

16 The Lord shall also roar out of Zion, and speak his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake, but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

17 So you'll know that I am the Lord your God living in Zion, my holy mountain, then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no strangers shall pass through her anymore.

18 And in that day, the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20 But Judah shall live forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed, for the Lord lives in Zion.

___Amos chapter 1

1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, that he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

2 And he said, "The Lord will roar from Zion, and speak his voice from Jerusalem, and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither."

3 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I won't turn away the punishment of it, because they've threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron,

4 But I'll send a fire into the house of Hazael, that will devour the palaces of Benhadad.

5 I'll also break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holds the scepter from the house of Eden, and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir," says the Lord.

6 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I won't turn away the punishment of it, because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them to Edom,

7 But I'll send a fire on the wall of Gaza, that will devour the palaces of it,

8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holds the scepter from Ashkelon, and I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall die, says the Lord God."

9 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I won't turn away the punishment of it, because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and didn't remember  the brotherly covenant,

10 But I'll send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, that will devour the palaces of it."

11 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I won't turn away the punishment of it, because he pursued his brother with the sword, and threw away all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his anger forever,

12 But I'll send a fire on Teman, that will devour the palaces of Bozrah."

13 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I won't turn away the punishment of it, because they have ripped up the pregnant women of Gilead, so they could enlarge their border,

14 But I'll kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces of it, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind,

15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together," says the Lord.

___Amos chapter 2

1 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I won't turn away the punishment of it, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime,

2 But I'll send a fire on Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth, and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet,

3 And I'll cut off the judge from the middle of it, and will kill all the princes of it with him," says the Lord.

4 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I won't turn away the punishment of it, because they've despised the law of the Lord, and haven't kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after which their fathers have walked,

5 But I'll send a fire on Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem."

6 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I won't turn away the punishment of it, because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes,

7 That pant for 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 to the same maid, to profane my holy name,

8 And they lay themselves down on clothes that are security deposits by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks, yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up from your sons for prophets, and from your young men for Nazarites.  Is it not just like that, O you children of Israel?"  Says the Lord.

12 "But you gave the Nazarites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, Don't prophesy.

13 See, I am pressed under you, like a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.

14 Therefore the escape shall go away from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, nor shall the mighty deliver himself,

15 Nor shall he stand that handles the bow, and he that is swift of foot won't deliver himself, nor shall he that rides the horse deliver himself.

16 And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day," says the Lord.

___Amos chapter 3

1 "Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

2 I've known only you of all the families of the earth, therefore I'll punish you for all your sins.

3 Can two walk together, unless they're in agreement?

4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?  Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he's taken nothing?

5 Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, where there's no trap for him?  Shall someone take up a trap from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid?  Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord has not done it?

7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.

8 The lion has roared, who will not fear?  The Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy?

9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults in the middle of it, and the oppressed in the middle of it.

10 For they don't know to do right, says the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.

11 Therefore thus says the Lord God, there shall be an adversary around the land, and he shall bring down your strength from you, and your palaces shall be spoiled.

12 Thus says the Lord, as the shepherd takes out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be taken out that live in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.

13 Hear, and testify in the house of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of hosts,

14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel on him I'll also visit the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and they'll fall to the ground.

15 And I'll strike the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall be destroyed, and the great houses shall have an end," says the Lord.

___Amos chapter 4

1 "Hear this word, you kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their masters, bring, and let us drink.

2 The Lord God has sworn by his holiness, that see, the days shall come on you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your descendants with fishhooks.

3 And you'll go out at the breaches, every cow at what is before her, and you'll throw them into the palace," says the Lord.

4 "Come to Bethel, and transgress, at Gilgal multiply transgression, and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years,

5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings, for you like this, O you children of Israel," says the Lord God.

6 "And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you haven't returned to me," says the Lord.

7 "And also I've 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 piece was rained on, and the piece on which it didn't rain withered.

8 So two or three cities wandered to one city, to drink water, but they were not satisfied, yet you haven't returned to me," says the Lord.

9 "I have struck you with blasting and mildew, when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them, yet you haven't returned to me," says the Lord.

10 "I've sent among you the pestilence like in Egypt, I've killed your young men with the sword, and have taken away your horses, and I've made the stink of your camps to come up to your nostrils, yet you haven't returned to me," says the Lord.

11 "I've overthrown some of you, like God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand plucked out of the burning, yet you haven't returned to me," says the Lord.

12 "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.

13 For see, he that forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares to man he's thinking, that makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth, the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name."

___Amos chapter 5

1 Hear this word that I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.

2 The virgin of Israel has fallen, she shall rise no more, she's been forsaken on her land, there is no one to raise her up.

3 For thus says the Lord God, "The city that went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred, and what went out by a hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel."

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, "Seek me, and you shall live,

5 But don't seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don't pass to Beersheba, for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

6 Seek the Lord, and you'll live, so he doesn't break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.

7 You who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off with righteousness in the earth,

8 Seek him that makes the seven stars and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night, that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth, the Lord is his name,

9 That strengthens the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

10 They hate him that reprimands in the gate, and they abhor him that speaks uprightly.

11 Since therefore your treading is on the poor, and you take from him burdens of wheat, you've built houses of cut stone, but you won't live in them, you've planted pleasant vineyards, but you won't drink wine from them.

12 For I know your many transgressions and your mighty sins, they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their rights.

13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good, and not evil, so you'll may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, like you've said.

15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate, it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."

16 Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, says thus, "Wailing shall be in all streets, and they'll say in all the highways, alas!, alas!  And they'll call the farmer to mourning, and such as are skillful at lamentation to wailing.

17 And in all vineyards there'll be wailing, for I will pass through you," says the Lord.

18 "Woe to you that desire the day of the Lord!  To what end is it for you?  The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.

19 As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.

20 Won't the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light?  Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I won't smell in your solemn assemblies.

22 Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I won't accept them, nor will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs, for I won't listen to the melody of your stringed instruments.

24 But let judgment run down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

25 Have you offered to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

26 But you've carried the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun, your images, the star of your god, that you made for yourselves.

27 Therefore I'll cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus," says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

___Amos chapter 6

1 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, that are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

2 Pass to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines, are they better than these kingdoms?  Or their border greater than your border?

3 You that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near,

4 That lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the middle of the stall,

5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David,

6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, but they aren't grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

7 Therefore now they'll go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

8 The Lord God has sworn by himself, says the Lord the God of hosts, I hate the excellence of Jacob, and hate his palaces, therefore I'll deliver up the city with all that is in it.

9 And it shall happen that if ten men remain in one house, that they'll die.

10 And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burns him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say to him that is by the sides of the house, are there any more with you?  And he shall say, No.  Then he'll say, hold your tongue, for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.

11 For, see, the Lord commands, and he will strike the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

12 Shall horses run on the rock?  Will one plow there with oxen?  For you've turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock,

13 You who rejoice in a thing of nothing, who say, haven't we taken to us horns by our own strength?

14 But, see, I'll raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, says the Lord the God of hosts, and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath to the river of the wilderness.

___Amos chapter 7

1 Thus has the Lord God shown me, and see, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth, and see, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.

2 And it occurred, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, "O Lord God, forgive, I beg of you, by whom shall Jacob arise?  For he is small."

3 The Lord repented for this, "It shall not be," says the Lord.

4 Thus has the Lord God shown me, and see, the Lord God called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and ate up a part.

5 Then I said, "O Lord God, stop, I beg of you, by whom shall Jacob arise?  For he is small."

6 The Lord repented for this, "This also shall not be," says the Lord God.

7 Thus he showed me, and see, the Lord stood on a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.

8 And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?"  And I said, "A plumb line."  Then said the Lord, "See, I'll set a plumb line among my people Israel, I won't pass by them again anymore,

9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I'll rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, and said, "Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel, the land is not able to bear all his words.

11 For this is what Amos says, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land."

12 Also Amaziah said to Amos, "O you seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there,

13 But don't prophesy again anymore at Bethel, for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court."

14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor was I a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit,

15 And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, go, prophesy to my people Israel.

16 Now therefore hear the word of the Lord, you say, don't prophesy against Israel, and don't drop your word against the house of Isaac.

17 Therefore thus says the Lord, your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line, and you'll die in a polluted land, and Israel shall surely go into captivity out of his land."

___Amos chapter 8

1 Thus has the Lord God showed me, and see a basket of summer fruit.

2 And he said, "Amos, what do you see?"  And I said, "A basket of summer fruit."  Then the Lord said to me, "The end has come on my people of Israel, I won't  pass by them again anymore.

3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings on that day, says the Lord God, there shall be many dead bodies in every place, they shall throw them out in silence.

4 Hear this, O you that swallow up the needy, to make the poor of the land to fail,

5 Saying, when will the new moon be gone, so we can sell corn?  And the Sabbath, so we can put out wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel large, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

6 So that we can buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, yes, and sell the worst of the wheat?

7 The Lord has sworn by the excellence of Jacob, surely I will never forget any of their works.

8 Shall the land not tremble for this, and everyone mourn that lives in it?  And it shall rise up completely like a flood, and it shall be thrown out and drowned, like by the flood of Egypt.

9 And it shall happen in that day, says the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day,

10 And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation, and I will bring up sackcloth on all mid-sections, and baldness on every head, and I will make it like the mourning for an only son, and the end of it like a bitter day.

11 See, the days come, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord,

12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run back and forth to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

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

14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, your god, O Dan, lives, and, the manner of Beersheba lives, they shall fall, and never rise up again."

___Amos chapter 9

1 I saw the Lord standing on the altar, and he said, "Strike the lintel of the door, so that the posts will shake, and cut them in the head, all of them, and I will kill the last of them with the sword, he that flees of them shall not flee away, and he that escapes of them shall not get deliverance.

2 Though they dig into hell, there shall my hand take them, though they climb up to heaven, from there I'll bring them down,

3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out of there, and though they're hidden from my sight in the bottom of the sea, I'll command the serpent there, and he'll bite them,

4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies, I'll command the sword there, and it shall kill them, and I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good.

5 And the Lord God of hosts is he that touches the land, and it shall melt, and all that live in it shall mourn, and it shall rise up completely like a flood, and shall be drowned, like by the flood of Egypt.

6 It is he that builds his stories in the heaven, and has founded his battalion on the earth, he that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth, the Lord is his name.

7 Aren't you like children of the Ethiopians to me, O children of Israel?  Says the Lord.  Haven't I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt?  And the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?

8 See, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, except that I won't completely destroy the house of Jacob, says the Lord.

9 For see, I'll command, and I'll sift the house of Israel among all nations, like corn is sifted in a sieve, yet the least grain shall not fall on the ground.

10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, the evil shall not overtake nor go before us.

11 In that day I'll raise up the tabernacle of David that has fallen, and close up the holes of it, and I'll raise up his ruins, and I'll build it like in the days of old,

12 So they can possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, who are called by my name, says the Lord that does this.

13 See, the days come, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that plants seed, and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

14 And I will undo the captivity of my people of Israel, and they'll build the waste cities, and inhabit them, and they'll plant vineyards, and drink the wine of them, they'll also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

15 And I will plant them on their land, and they'll no more be pulled up out of their land that I've given them, says the Lord your God."

___Obadiah

1 The vision of Obadiah.  The Lord God says this about Edom:  "We've heard a rumor from the Lord, and an ambassador has been sent among the heathen, get up, and let's rise up against her in battle.

2 See, I've made you small among the heathen, you're greatly despised.

3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you that live in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high, that says in his heart, who shall bring me down to the ground?

4 Though you exalt yourself like the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, I'll bring you down from there, says the Lord.

5 If thieves came to you, if robbers at night, (how are you cut off!), wouldn't they have stolen 'til they had enough?  If the grape gatherers came to you, wouldn't they leave some grapes?

6 How are the things of Esau searched out!  How are his hidden things sought out!

7 All the men of your confederacy have brought you to the border, the men that were at peace with you have deceived you, and prevailed against you, those who eat your bread have laid a wound under you, there is no understanding in him.

8 In that day, says the Lord, shouldn't I destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mountain of Esau?

9 And your mighty men, O Teman, shall be disappointed, so that everyone of the mountain of Esau will be cut off by slaughter.

10 For your violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you'll be cut off forever.

11 In the day that you stood on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away his forces captive, and foreigners entered into his gates, and drew straws for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.

12 But you shouldn't have looked on the day of your brother, in the day that he became a stranger, nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

13 You shouldn't have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity, yes, you shouldn't have looked at their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their goods in the day of their calamity,

14 Nor should you have stood in the crossway to cut off those of his that escaped, nor should you have delivered up those of his that remained in the day of distress.

15 For the day of the Lord is near on all the heathen, as you have done, it shall be done to you, your reward shall return on your own head.

16 For as you've drunk on my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yes, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.

17 But there shall be deliverance on mount Zion, and there shall be holiness, and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for kindling wood, and they shall start a fire in them, and devour them, and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken it.

19 And those of the south shall possess the mountain of Esau, and those of the plain the Philistines, and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

20 And the captivity of this army of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even as far as Zarephath, and the captivity of Jerusalem, that is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.

21 And saviors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's."

___Jonah chapter 1

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2 "Get up, go to Nineveh, that large city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."

3 But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

4 But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty storm at sea, so that the ship was nearly broken.

5 Then the sailors were afraid, and each of them cried to his god, and threw out the merchandise that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the ship.  But Jonah had gone down into the sides of the ship, and he lay fast asleep.

6 So the captain of the ship came to him, and said to him, what do you mean, O sleeper?  "Get up, call on your God, if perhaps God will think about us, so we don't die."

7 And they all said to their co-workers, "Let's draw straws, so we'll know which of us is the cause of this evil that’s on us."  So they drew straws, and it came out Jonah.

8 Then they said to him, "Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us, what is your occupation?  And where do you come from?  What is your country?  And of what people are you?"

9 And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land."

10 Then the men were very afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?"  For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, so the sea will be calm to us?"  For the sea rolled, and was tempestuous.

12 And he said to them, "Take me up, and throw me into the sea, so the sea shall be calm for you, 'cause I know that because of me this great tempest is on you."

13 But the men rowed hard to bring it to land, but they couldn't, for the sea rolled, and was tempestuous against them.

14 So they shouted to the Lord, "We beg of you, O Lord, we beg of you, don't let us die for this man's life, and don't lay on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you."

15 So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.

16 Then the men feared the Lord very much, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vows.

17 Now the Lord had prepared a whale to swallow Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the whale days and three nights.

___Jonah chapter 2

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,

2 And said, "I cried because of my affliction to the Lord, and he heard me, out of the belly of hell I cried, and you heard my voice.

3 For you threw me into the deep, in the middle of the seas, and the floods surrounded me, all your billows and your waves passed over me.

4 Then I said, I am thrown out of your sight, yet I will look again toward your holy temple.

5 The waters surrounded me, even to the soul, the depth closed around me, the weeds were wrapped around my head.

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains, the earth with her bars was around me forever, yet you've brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

7 When my soul fainted inside me I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.

8 Those who observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

9 But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving, I will pay that which I have vowed.  Salvation is of the Lord."

10 And the Lord spoke to the whale, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.

___Jonah chapter 3

1 And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2 "Get up, go to Nineveh, that large city, and preach to it the preaching that I tell you."

3 So Jonah got up, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.  Now Nineveh was a very large city of three-day's journey.

4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he shouted, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown."

5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

6 For word came to the king of Nineveh, and he got up from his throne, and he laid his robe off of him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything, let them not eat, nor drink water,

8 But let man and animal be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God, yes, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so we don't die?"

10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God changed his mind about evil that he had said that he would do to them, and he didn't do it.

___Jonah chapter 4

1 But it very much displeased Jonah, and he was very angry.

2 And he prayed to the Lord, and said, "I pray you, O Lord, wasn't this what I said when I was yet in my country?  Therefore I fled before to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and change your mind about the evil.

3 Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beg of you, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."

4 Then the Lord said, "Are you doing well to be angry?"

5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and made himself a booth there, and sat under it in the shadow, 'til he could see what would become of the city.

6 And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, so it would be a shadow over his head, to give him relief from his grief.  So Jonah was very glad about the gourd.

7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it struck the gourd so that it dried up.

8 And when the sun arose, God prepared a strong east wind, and the sun beat on Jonah's head, and he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."

9 And God said to Jonah, "Are you doing well to be angry about the gourd?"  And he said, "I do well to be angry, even until death."

10 Then the Lord said, "You've had pity on the gourd, for which you haven't labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night, and died in a night,

11 And shouldn't I spare Nineveh, that large city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand people that can't tell the difference between their right hand and their left hand, and also much cattle?"

__Micah chapter 1

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, that he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2 Hear, all you people, listen, O earth, and all that's in it, and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

3 For see, the Lord comes out of his place, and will come down, and walk on the high places of the earth.

4 And the mountains shall melt under him, and the valleys shall be split, like wax near fire, and like the waters that are poured down a steep place.

5 All of this is for the transgression of Jacob, and for the sins of the house of Israel.  What is the transgression of Jacob?  Is it not Samaria?  And what are the high places of Judah?  Are they not Jerusalem?

6 Therefore I'll make Samaria like a heap of the field, and like plantings of a vineyard, and I'll pour down the stones of it into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations of it.

7 And all the engraved images of it shall be beaten to pieces, and all the wages of it shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols of it I'll lay desolate, for she gathered it from the wages of a prostitute, and they shall return to the wages of a prostitute.

8 Therefore I'll wail and howl, I'll go stripped and naked, I'll make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning like the owls.

9 For her wound is incurable, for it has come to Judah, he has come to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem.

10 Don't declare it at Gath, don't cry at all, in the house of Aphrah roll yourself in the dust.

11 Pass away, you inhabitant of Saphir, having your shame naked, the inhabitant of Zaanan didn't come out in the mourning of Bethezel, he shall receive his standing from you.

12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good, but evil came down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.

13 O you inhabitant of Lachish, tie the chariot to the swift beast, she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

14 Therefore you'll give presents to Moreshethgath, the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

15 Yet I'll bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah, he shall come to Adullam, the glory of Israel.

16 Make yourself bald, and poll yourself for your delicate children, enlarge your baldness like the eagle, for they've gone into captivity from you.

___Micah chapter 2

1 Woe to those who devise sin, and work evil on their beds!  When the morning is light, they practice it, because it's in the power of their hand.

2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away, so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance.

3 Therefore thus says the Lord, see, against this family I devise an evil, from which you won't remove your necks, nor shall you go haughtily, for this time is evil.

4 In that day someone shall take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, we're completely spoiled, he has changed the portion of my people, how has he removed it from me!  Turning away, he has divided our fields.

5 Therefore you'll have no one that shall throw a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord.

6 Don't prophesy, they say to those who prophesy, they shall not prophesy to them, so that they won't be shamed.

7 O you that's named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord restricted?  Are these his doings?  Don't my words do good to him that walks uprightly?

8 Even lately my people have risen up like an enemy, you pull off the robe with the garment from those who pass by securely like men who don't want war.

9 You've thrown out the women of my people from their pleasant houses, you've taken away my glory forever from their children.

10 Arise and depart, for this is not your rest, because it is polluted, it shall destroy you with a severe destruction.

11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood lies, saying, "I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink," he shall be the prophet of these people.

12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel, I will put them together like the sheep of Bozrah, like the flock in the middle of their fold, they'll make great noise because of the multitude of men.

13 The breaker has come up before them, they've broken up, and have passed through the gate, and have gone out of it, and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.

___Micah chapter 3

1 And I said, "Hear, please, O heads of Jacob, and you princes of the house of Israel, is it not for you to know judgment?

2 Who hate the good, and love the evil, who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones,

3 Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, like for the pot, and like flesh in the caldron.

4 Then they'll cry to the Lord, but he won't hear them, he will hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves badly in their doings.

5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry "Peace," and he that doesn't put into their mouths, they prepare war against him.

6 Therefore night shall be to you, so that you won't have a vision, and it shall be dark to you, so that you won't divine, and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

7 Then the seers shall be ashamed, and the diviners shall be confused, yes, they'll all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God.

8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.

9 Hear this, please, you heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that hate justice, and pervert all equity.

10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with sin.

11 The heads of it judge for bribes, and the priests of it teach for wages, and the prophets of it who divine for money, yet they'll lean on the Lord, and say, "Isn't the Lord among us?  None evil can come on us."

12 Therefore Zion shall for your sake be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house like the high places of the forest.

___Micah chapter 4

1 But in the last days it shall happen, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow to it.

2 And many nations shall come, and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we'll walk in his paths, for the law shall go out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 And he shall judge among many people, and reprimand strong nations afar off, and they'll beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore.

4 But they'll sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it.

5 For all people will walk each one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and always.

6 "In that day," says the Lord, "I'll assemble her that walks with difficulty, and I'll gather her that's been driven out, and her that I've afflicted,

7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was thrown far off a strong nation, and the Lord shall rule over them in mount Zion from now on, and forever.

8 And you, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, to you it shall come, even the first dominion, the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

9 Now why do you cry out aloud?  Is there no king in you?  Has your counselor died?  For pangs have taken you like a woman in travail.

10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail, for now you'll go out of the city, and you'll live in the field, and you'll go to Babylon, you'll be delivered there, the Lord shall redeem you from the hand of your enemies there.

11 Now also many nations have gathered against you, that say, "Let her be defiled, and let our eye look at Zion."

12 But they didn't know the thoughts of the Lord, nor do they understand his advice, for he shall gather them like the sheaves into the floor.

13 Get up and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I'll make your horn iron, and I'll make your hoofs brass, and you'll beat many people in pieces, and I'll consecrate their gain to the Lord, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.

___Micah chapter 5

1 Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops, he has laid siege against us, they shall strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you're little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come to me he that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

3 Therefore he'll give them up, until the time that she who travails has brought forth, then the remnant of his brothers shall return to the children of Israel.

4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall live, for now he'll be great to the ends of the earth.

5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall walk in our palaces, then we'll raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

6 And they'll waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances of it, thus he'll deliver us from the Assyrian, when he comes into our land, and when he treads inside our borders.

7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among many people like a dew from the Lord, like the showers on the grass, that doesn't wait for man, and doesn't wait for the sons of men.

8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles among many people like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goes through, both treads down, and tears in pieces, and no one can give deliverance.

9 Your hand shall be lifted up on your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.

10 "And it shall happen in that day," says the Lord, "that I will cut off your horses out of the middle of you, and I will destroy your chariots,

11 And I will cut off the cities of your land, and throw down all your strong holds,

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of your hand, and you'll have no more soothsayers,

13 I will cut off also your engraved images, and your standing images out of the middle of you, and you won't anymore worship the work of your hands.

14 And I will pluck up your groves out of the middle of you, so I'll destroy your cities.

15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the heathen, such as they have not heard.

___Micah chapter 6

1 Hear now what the Lord says, get up, contend before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

2 Hear you, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

3 O my people, what have I done to you?  And how have I wearied you?  Testify against me.

4 For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of servants, and I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you.

5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab advised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you'll know the righteousness of the Lord.

6 With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God?  Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

9 The Lord's voice shouts to the city, and the man of wisdom shall see your name.  Hear the rod, and who has appointed it.

10 Are there still the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is dirty?

11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?

12 For the rich men of it are full of violence, and the inhabitants of it have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

13 Therefore also I'll make you sick in striking you, in making you desolate because of your sins.

14 You'll eat, but not be satisfied, and your throwing down shall be in the middle of you, and you'll take hold, but won't deliver, and that which you deliver I'll give up to the sword.

15 You'll plant, but you won't harvest, you shall tread the olives, but you won't anoint yourselves with oil, and sweet wine, but won't drink wine.

16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk following their advice, so that I should make you a desolation, and the inhabitants of it a hissing, therefore you'll bear the reproach of my people.

___Micah chapter 7

1 Woe is me!  For I am like when they've gathered the summer fruits, like what's left of the grapes after the grape harvest from the vineyard, there is no cluster to eat, my soul desired the first ripe fruit.

2 The good man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men, they all lie in wait for blood, every man hunts his brother with a net.

3 So that they can do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asks, and the judge asks for a bribe, and the great man, he speaks his mischievous desire, so they wrap it up.

4 The best of them is like a brier, the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge, the day of your watchmen and your visitation is coming, their perplexity shall be now.

5 Don't trust a friend, don't put confidence in a guide, keep the doors of your mouth from her that lies in your bosom.

6 For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law, a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

7 Therefore I'll look to the Lord, I'll wait for the God of my salvation, my God will hear me.

8 Don't rejoice against me, O my enemy, when I fall, I'll arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.

9 I will carry the indignation of the Lord, because I've sinned against him, until he pleads my cause, and executes judgment for me, he will bring me out to the light, and I'll see his righteousness.

10 Then she that is my enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her who said to me, "Where is the Lord your God?"  My eyes shall see her, now shall she be walked on like the mire of the streets.

11 In the day that your walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.

12 In that day also he shall come to you from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

13 But the land shall be desolate because of those who live in it, for the fruit of their doings.

14 Feed your people with your rod, the flock of your heritage, who live alone in the woods, in the middle of Carmel, let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, like in the days of old.

15 According to the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt I'll show to him marvelous things.

16 The nations shall see and be confused at all their might, they shall lay their hand on their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

17 They shall lick the dust like a snake, they'll move out of their holes like worms of the earth, they'll be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of you.

18 Who is a God like you, that pardons sin, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?  He doesn't retain his anger forever, because he delights in mercy.

19 He'll turn back, he'll have compassion on us, he'll subdue our sins, and you'll throw all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20 You'll perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, that you've sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

___Nahum chapter 1

1 The burden of Nineveh.  The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

2 God is jealous, and the Lord avenges, the Lord avenges, and is furious, the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserves anger for his enemies.

3 The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all excuse the wicked, the Lord has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

4 He reprimands the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers, Bashan languishes, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languishes.

5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yes, the world and all that live in it.

6 Who can stand before his indignation?  And who can survive in the fierceness of his anger?  His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knows those who trust in him.

8 But with an overwhelming flood he will make a complete end of its place, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

9 What do you imagine against the Lord?  He will make a complete end, affliction shall not rise up the second time.

10 For while they're folded together like thorns, and while they are drunk like drunkards, they shall be devoured like totally dry kindling wood.

11 Someone has come out of you that imagines evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor.

12 Thus says the Lord, though they're quiet, and also many, yet this is how they'll be cut down, when he shall pass through.  Though I've afflicted you, I'll afflict you no more.

13 For now I'll break his yoke off of you, and will break your bonds in pieces.

14 And the Lord has given a commandment concerning you, so that no more of your name is planted, out of the house of your gods I'll cut off the engraved image and the image that's a casting from the foundry, I will make your grave, for you are filthy.

15 See, on the mountains, the feet of him that brings good news, that publishes peace!  O Judah, keep your solemn feasts, perform your vows, for the wicked shall no more pass through you, he's completely cut off.

___Nahum chapter 2

1 He that dashes in pieces has come up before your face, keep the munition, watch the way, make your midsections strong, fortify your power mightily.

2 For the Lord has turned away the excellence of Jacob, like the excellence of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out, and ruined their vine branches.

3 The shield of his mighty men has been made red, the valiant men are in red cloth, the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

4 The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle against each other in the broad ways, they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightning.

5 He shall tell his worthies, they shall stumble in their walk, they shall hurry to the wall of it, and the defense shall be prepared.

6 The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.

7 And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her like with the voice of doves, tabering on their breasts.

8 But since old times, Nineveh is like a pool of water, yet they shall flee away.  "Stand, stand," they shall shout, but no one shall look back.

9 Take the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold, for there is no end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.

10 She is empty, and void, and waste, and the heart melts, and the knees bang together, and a lot of pain is in all midsections, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

11 Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion walked, the old lion, and the lion's whelp, and no one made them afraid?

12 The lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

13 See, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions, and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more.

___Nahum chapter 3

1 Woe to the bloody city!  It is all full of lies and robbery, the prey doesn't depart,

2 The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

3 The horseman lifts up both the bright sword and the glittering spear, and there is a multitude of dead bodies, and a great number of carcasses, and there is no end of their corpses, they stumble on their corpses,

4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored prostitute, the mistress of witchcrafts, that sells nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

5 See, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I'll discover your skirts on your face, and I'll show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.

6 And I will throw dirty filth on you, and make you filthy, and will set you like a gazing stock.

7 And all of those who that look at you shall run away from you, and say, Nineveh has been laid waste, who will mourn for her?  From where shall I seek comforters for you?

8 Are you better than populous No, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters around it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite, Put and Lubim were your helpers.

10 Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity, her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets, and they drew straws for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

11 You also shall be drunk, you shall be hidden, you also shall seek strength because of the enemy.

12 All your strong holds shall be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs, if they're shaken, they'll fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 See, your people in the middle of you are women, the gates of your land shall be set wide open to your enemies, the fire shall devour the bars of your gates.

14 Draw waters for the siege, fortify your strong holds, go into clay, and tread the mortar, make the brick kiln strong.

15 The fire shall devour you there, the sword shall cut you off, it shall eat you up like the canker worm, multiply yourself like the canker worm, multiply yourself like the locusts.

16 You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven, the canker worm spoils, and flies away.

17 Those of you who are crowned are like the locusts, and your captains like the large grasshoppers that camp in the hedges on a cold day, but when the sun rises they flee away, and where their place is, is not known.

18 Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria, your nobles shall dwell in the dust, your people are scattered on the mountains, and no man gathers them.

19 There is no healing of your bruise, your wound is grievous, all that hear the bruit of you shall clap the hands over you, for on whom has your wickedness not passed continually?

___Habakuk chapter 1

1 The burden that the prophet Habakkuk saw.

2 "O Lord, how long shall I call to you and you won't hear!  Even call out to you about violence, and you won't save!

3 Why do you show me sin, and cause me to see grievance?  For spoiling and violence are before me, and there are those who raise up strife and contention.

4 Therefore the law has been slacked, and justice doesn't happen, for the wicked surround the righteous, therefore injustice proceeds.

5 See among the heathen, and notice, and wonder marvelously, for I will work a work in your days that you won't believe, though it's told to you.

6 For see, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.

7 They are terrible and dreadful, their judgment and their dignity shall proceed from themselves.

8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves, and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far, they shall fly like the eagle that hurries to eat.

9 They shall all come for violence, their faces shall eat up like the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity like the sand.

10 And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn to them, they shall deride every stronghold, for they shall heap dust, and take it.

11 Then his mind shall change, and he shall cross over, and offend, imputing his power to his god.

12 Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy one?  We shall not die.  O Lord, you've ordained them for judgment, and, O mighty God, you've established them for correction.

13 You are of purer eyes than to see evil, and can't look at sin, so why do you look at those who deal treacherously and remain silent when the wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he is?

14 And make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

15 All of them take up with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag, therefore they rejoice and are glad.

16 Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their drag, because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.

17 Shall they therefore empty their net, and not stop continually killing the nations?"

___Habakuk chapter 2

1 I will stand my watch, and set myself on the tower, and will watch to see what he will say to me, and what I shall answer when I am reprimanded.

2 And the Lord answered me, "Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, so he can run that reads it.

3 For the vision is for a later appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie, though it doesn't come right away, wait for it, because it will surely come, it won't wait.

4 See, his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his faith.

5 Yes also, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, and doesn't stay home, who enlarges his desire as hell, and is like death, and can't be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations, and heaps to himself all tribes,

6 Shall not all of these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, “Woe to him that increases that which is not his!  How long?  And to him that burdens himself with thick clay!”

7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite you, and shall they not awake that shall vex you, and you shall be for spoils of war to them?

8 Because you've spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil you, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all who live in it.

9 Woe to him that covets an evil covetousness to his house, so he can set his nest on high, so he can be delivered from the power of evil!

10 You have consulted shame to your house by cutting off many people, and have sinned against your soul.

11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

12 Woe to him that builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by sin!

13 See, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for vanity?

14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, like the waters cover the sea.

15 Woe to him that gives his neighbor drink, that puts your bottle to him, and makes him drunk also, so you can look at their nakedness!

16 You're filled with shame instead of glory, drink also, and let your foreskin be uncovered, the cup of the Lord's right hand shall be turned to you, and shameful vomiting shall be on your glory.

17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover you, and the spoil of animals, that made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all who live in it.

18 How does the engraver profit from the engraved image that he has made, the image made by casting in the foundry, and a teacher of lies, so that the maker of his work trusts in it, to make dumb idols?

19 Woe to him that says to the wood, awake, to the dumb stone, get up, it shall teach!  See, it is plated with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the middle of it.

20 But the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him."

___Habakuk chapter 3

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet on Shigionoth.

2 "O Lord, I've heard your speech, and was afraid, O Lord, revive your work in the middle of the years, in the middle of the years make known, in anger, remember mercy.

3 God came from Teman, and the Holy one from mount Paran.  Selah.  His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

4 And his brightness was like the light, he had horns coming out of his hand, and there was the hiding of his power.

5 The pestilence went before him, and burning coals went out at his feet.

6 He stood and measured the earth, he saw, and split the nations in pieces, and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills bowed, his ways are everlasting.

7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction, and the curtains of the land of Midian trembled.

8 Was the Lord displeased with the rivers?  Was your anger against the rivers?  Was your anger against the sea, so that you rode on your horses and your chariots of salvation?

9 Your bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even your word.  Selah.  You split the earth with rivers.

10 The mountains saw you, and they trembled, the overflowing of the water passed by, the deep uttered its voice, and lifted up its hands on high.

11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation, at the light of your arrows they went, and at the shining of your glittering spear.

12 You marched through the land in indignation, you threshed the heathen in anger.

13 You went out for the salvation of your people, for salvation with your anointed, you wounded the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation to the neck.  Selah.

14 With his staves, you struck the head of his villages, they came out like a whirlwind to scatter me, their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.

15 You walked through the sea with your horses, through the heap of great waters.

16 When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, so that I could rest in the day of trouble, when he comes up to the people, he will invade them with his troops.

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, nor shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk on my high places."

___Zephaniah chapter 1

1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2 "I will completely consume all things from off the land, says the Lord.

3 I will consume man and beast, I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off man from off the land, says the Lord.

4 I will also stretch out my hand on Judah, and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests,

5 And those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops, and those who worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham,

6 And those who are turned back from the Lord, and those that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of him.

7 Be quiet at the presence of the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is at hand, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has invited his guests.

8 And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice, I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all of those who are clothed with strange apparel.

9 In the same day I'll also punish all those that jump on the threshold, who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

10 And in that day, says the Lord, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Howl, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people have been cut down, all of those who carry silver are cut off.

12 And at that time, I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.

13 Therefore their goods shall become a spoil, and their houses a desolation, they shall also build houses, but not live in them, and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine from them.

14 The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hurries greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord, the mighty man shall cry bitterly there.

15 That day is a day of anger, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

17 And I will bring distress on men, so they'll walk like blind men, because they've sinned against the Lord, and their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like feces.

18 Nor shall their silver nor their gold be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's anger, but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy, for he shall make a speedy riddance of all of those who live in the land."

___Zephaniah chapter 2

1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O nation not desired,

2 Bring forth before the decree, before the day passes like the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes on you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes on you.

3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have kept his judgment, seek righteousness, seek meekness, perhaps you'll be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.

4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation, they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be uprooted.

5 Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites!  The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will destroy you, so that there'll be no inhabitant.

6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah, they shall feed on it, in the houses of Ashkelon they'll lie down in the evening, for the Lord their God shall visit them, and undo their captivity.

8 I've heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, by which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

9 Therefore as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation, the remainder of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

10 They'll have this for their pride, because they've reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11 The Lord will be terrible to them, for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and men shall worship him, everyone from his place, all the islands of the heathen.

12 You Ethiopians also, you shall be killed by my sword.

13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

14 And flocks shall lie down in the middle of her, all the beasts of the nations, both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it, their voice shall sing in the windows, desolation shall be in the thresholds, for he shall uncover the cedar work.

15 This is the rejoicing city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me, how has she become a desolation, a place for animals to lie down in!  Everyone that passes by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.

___Zephaniah chapter 3

1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!

2 She didn't obey the voice, she didn't receive correction, she didn't trust in the Lord, she didn't draw near to her God.

3 Her princes inside her are roaring lions, her judges are evening wolves, they don't gnaw the bones 'til the next day.

4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons, her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they've done violence to the law.

5 The just Lord is in the middle of it, he won't do sin, every morning he brings his judgment to light, he doesn't fail, but the unjust knows no shame.

6 I have cut off the nations, their towers are desolate, I made their streets waste, so no one passes by, their cities are destroyed, so that there's no man, that there is no inhabitant.

7 I said, surely you'll fear me, you will receive instruction, so their dwelling wouldn't be cut off, however I punished them, but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

8 Therefore wait on me, says the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my determination is to gather the nations, so I can assemble the kingdoms, to pour on them my indignation, all my fierce anger, for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

9 For then I'll turn to the people a pure language, so they'll all call on the name of the Lord, to serve him unanimously.

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring my offering.

11 In that day you won't be ashamed for all your doings, in which you've transgressed against me, for then I'll take away from among you those who rejoice in your pride, and you'll no more be full of pride because of my holy mountain.

12 I'll also leave in the middle of you an afflicted and poor people, and they'll trust in the name of the Lord.

13 The remnant of Israel shall not sin, nor speak lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

15 The Lord has taken away your judgments, he has thrown out your enemy, the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the middle of you, you shall not see evil anymore.

16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, “Don't be afraid,” and to Zion, “Don't let your hands be slack.”

17 The Lord your God who's among you is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over you with singing.

18 I will gather those who are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of you, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

19 See, at that time, I will undo all that afflict you, and I will save her that halts, and gather her that was driven out, and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they've been put to shame.

20 At that time I'll bring you again, at the time that I gather you, for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I undo your captivity before your eyes, says the Lord.

___Haggai chapter 1

1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, "These people say, the time has not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built."

3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

4 "Is it time for you, to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lies waste?

5 Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways.

6 You've planted much, and bring in little, you eat, but you don't have enough, you drink, but you're not filled with drink, you clothe yourselves, but no one's warm, and he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes in it.

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways.

8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, says the Lord.

9 You looked for much, and see, it came to little, and when you brought it home, I blew on it.  Why?  Says the Lord of hosts.  Because of my house that lies waste, and you run every man to his own house.

10 Therefore the heaven over you has been stopped from sending dew, and the earth has been stopped from bearing her fruit.

11 And I called for a drought on the land, and on the mountains, and on the corn, and on the new wine, and on the oil, and on that which the ground produces, and on men, and on cattle, and on all the labor of the hands."

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people feared before the Lord.

13 Then Haggai the Lord's messenger spoke in the Lord's message to the people, saying, "I am with you, says the Lord."

14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and worked in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,

15 In the twenty fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

___Haggai chapter 2

1 In the seventh month, in the twenty first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying,

2 "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the remainder of the people, saying,

3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its first glory?  And how do you see it now?  Isn't it in your eyes like nothing by comparison?

4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord, and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, and be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts,

5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remains among you, don't be afraid.

6 For thus says the Lord of hosts, yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land,

7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts.

9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the Lord of hosts, and in this place I'll give peace, says the Lord of hosts."

10 In the twenty fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

11 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

12 If someone carries holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it be holy?"  And the priests answered, "No."

13 Then Haggai said, "If someone that is unclean by a dead body touches any of these, shall it be unclean?"  And the priests answered, "It shall be unclean."

14 Then Haggai answered, "So are these people, and so is this nation before me, says the Lord, and so is every work of their hands, and that which they offer there is unclean.

15 And now, please, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid on another stone in the temple of the Lord,

16 Since those days were, when someone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten, when someone came to the press vat to draw out fifty containers out of the press, there were only twenty.

17 I struck you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labors of your hands, yet you didn't turn to me, says the Lord.

18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the twenty fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider it.

19 Is the seed yet in the barn?  Yes, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hasn't brought forth, from this day I will bless you."

20 And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty fourth day of the month, saying,

21 "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth,

22 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen, and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them, and the horses and their riders shall come down, everyone by the sword of his brother.

23 In that day, says the Lord of hosts, I'll take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you like a signet, for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts."

___Zechariah chapter 1

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

2 "The Lord has been very displeased with your fathers.

3 Therefore tell them, thus says the Lord of hosts, turn to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, says the Lord of hosts.

4 Don't be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets have cried, saying, thus says the Lord of hosts, turn you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings, but they didn't hear, nor listen to me, says the Lord.

5 Your fathers, where are they?  And the prophets, do they live forever?

6 But my words and my statutes, that I commanded my servants the prophets, didn't they take hold of your fathers?  And they returned and said, like the Lord of hosts thought to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so has he dealt with us."

7 On the twenty fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

8 "I saw by night, and see a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom, and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white."

9 Then I said, "O my lord, what are these?"  And the angel that talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."

10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are those whom the Lord has sent to walk back and forth through the earth."

11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, "We've walked back and forth through the earth, and see, all the earth sits still, and is at rest."

12 Then the angel of the Lord answered, "O Lord of hosts, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you've had indignation these seventy years?"

13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.

14 So the angel that communed with me said to me, "Shout, saying, thus says the Lord of hosts, I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

15 And I am very very displeased with the heathen that are at ease, for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore thus says the Lord, I've returned to Jerusalem with mercies, my house shall be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched out on Jerusalem.

17 Shout again, saying, thus says the Lord of hosts, my cities through prosperity shall yet be spread around, and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem."

18 Then lifted I up my eyes, and looked, and see, four horns.

19 And I said to the angel that talked with me, "What are these?"  And he answered me, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

20 And the Lord showed me four carpenters.

21 Then I said, "What do these come to do?"  And he said, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head, but these have come to fray them, to throw out the horns of the Gentiles, that lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it."

___Zechariah chapter 2

1 I lifted up my eyes again, and looked, and see a man with a measuring line in his hand.

2 Then I said, "Where are you going?"  And he said to me, to measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth of it, and what is the length of it."

3 And see, the angel that talked with me went out, and another angel went out to meet him,

4 And said to him, "Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited like towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle in it,

5 For I, says the Lord, will be to her a wall of fire all around, and will be the glory in the middle of her.

6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, says the Lord, for I've spread you around like the four winds of the sky, says the Lord.

7 Deliver yourself, O Zion, that lives with the daughter of Babylon.

8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, after the glory he has sent me to the nations that spoiled you, for he that touches you touches the apple of his eye.

9 For see, I'll shake my hand on them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants, and you'll know that the Lord of hosts has sent me.

10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for see, I come, and I'll live among you, says the Lord.

11 And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people, and I will live among you, and you'll know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

12 And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord, for he has gotten up out of his holy habitation.

___Zechariah chapter 3

1 And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

2 And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord reprimand you, O Satan, even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem reprimand you, is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?"

3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

4 And he answered and spoke to those that stood before him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him."  And to him he said, "See, I've caused your sin to go away from you, and I'll clothe you with change of clothing.

5 And I said, "Let them set an attractive priest's hat on his head."  So they set an attractive priest's hat on his head, and clothed him with garments.  And the angel of the Lord stood by.

6 And the angel of the Lord protested to Joshua, saying,

7 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, if you'll walk in my ways, and if you'll do what I say, then you'll also judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you places to walk among these that stand by.

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you, and your fellows that sit before you, for they are men wondered at, for see, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.

9 For see the stone that I've laid before Joshua, on one stone shall be seven eyes, see, I'll engrave the engraving of it, says the Lord of hosts, and I'll remove the sin of that land in one day.

10 In that day, says the Lord of hosts, you'll call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree."

___Zechariah chapter 4

1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and awoke me, like a man that is awakened out of his sleep,

2 And said to me, "What do you see?"  And I said, "I've looked, and see a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl on top of it, and its seven lamps on it, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, that are on top of it,

3 And two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it."

4 So I answered the angel that talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"

5 Then the angel that talked with me answered, "Don't you know what these are?"  And I said, "No, my lord."

6 Then he answered, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

7 Who are you, O great mountain?  Before Zerubbabel you'll become a plain, and he'll bring forth the headstone of it with shoutings, crying, grace, grace to it."

8 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, his hands shall also finish it, and you'll know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

10 For who has despised the day of small things?  For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven, they are the eyes of the Lord, that back and forth through the whole earth."

11 Then I answered him, "What are these two olive trees on the right side of the candlestick and on the left side of it?"

12 And I said again to him, "What are these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?"

13 And he answered me, "Don't you know what these are?"  And I said, "No, my lord."

14 Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."

___Zechariah chapter 5

1 Then I turned, and lifted up my eyes and looked, and see, a flying roll.

2 And he said, "What do you see?"  And I answered, "I see a flying roll, the length of which is twenty cubits, and the breadth of which ten cubits."

3 Then he said, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth, for everyone that steals shall be cut off like on this side according to it, and everyone that swears shall be cut off like on that side according to it.

4 I will bring it out, says the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the houses of the thieves, and into the houses of those who swear falsely by my name, and it shall remain in the middle of their houses, and shall consume them with the timber of them and the stones of them."

5 Then the angel that talked with me went out, and said to me, "Lift up now your eyes, and see what this is that goes out."

6 And I said, "What is it?"  And he said, "This is an ephah that goes out."  He also said, "This is their resemblance through all the earth."

7 And see, a talent of lead was lifted up, and this is a woman that sits in the middle of the ephah.

8 And he said, "This is wickedness."  And he threw it into the middle of the ephah, and he threw the weight of lead on the mouth of it.

9 Then lifted I up my eyes and looked, and see, two women came out, and the wind was in their wings, for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

10 Then I said to the angel that talked with me, "Where do these carry the ephah?"

11 And he said to me, "To build a house for it in the land of Shinar, and it shall be established, and set there on its own base."

___Zechariah chapter 6

1 And I turned, and lifted up my eyes, and looked, and see, four chariots came out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of brass.

2 In the first chariot there were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses,

3 And in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot grizzled and bay horses.

4 Then I said to the angel that talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"

5 And the angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of the heavens, that go out from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The black horses that are in it go out into the north country, and the white go out after them, and the grizzled go out toward the south country."

7 And the bay went out, and tried to go so they could walk back and forth through the earth, and he said, "Go from here, walk back and forth through the earth."  So they walked back and forth through the earth.

8 Then he spoke loudly to me, saying, "See, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country."

9 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

10 "Take from those of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, who've come from Babylon, and you come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah,

11 Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest,

12 And speak to him, saying, thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, see the man whose name is the Branch, and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord,

13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne, and he shall be a priest on his throne, and the advice of peace shall be between them both.

14 And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord.

15 And those who are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord, and you'll know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.  And this shall occur, if you'll diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God."

___Zechariah chapter 7

1 And it happened in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu,

2 When they had sent Sherezer and Regemmelech and their men to the house of God, to pray before the Lord,

3 And to speak to the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, "Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these many years?"

4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,

5 "Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, when you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did you at all fast to me, even to me?

6 And when you ate, and when you drank, didn't you eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

7 Shouldn't you listen to the words that the Lord has shouted by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities of it around her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?"

8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying,

9 "Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother,

10 And don't oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor, and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

11 But they refused to listen, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, so they wouldn't hear.

12 Yes, they made their hearts like an adamant stone, so that they wouldn't hear the law, and the words that the Lord of hosts has sent in his spirit by the former prophets, therefore a great anger came from the Lord of hosts.

13 Therefore it has happened, that like he shouted, and they wouldn't listen, so they shouted, and I wouldn't listen, says the Lord of hosts,

14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they didn't know.  Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned, for they laid the pleasant land desolate."

___Zechariah chapter 8

1 Again, the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,

2 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.

3 Thus says the Lord, I've returned to Zion, and will live among Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain."

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Old men and old women shall still live in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand because of old age.

5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets of it."

6 Thus says the Lord of hosts, "If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of these people in these days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?"  Says the Lord of hosts.

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, "See, I'll save my people from the east country, and from the west country,

8 And I'll bring them, and they'll live in Jerusalem, and they'll be my people, and I'll be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

9 Thus says the Lord of hosts, let your hands be strong, you that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, that were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, so that the temple could be built.

10 For before these days there were no wages for man, nor any wages for animal, nor was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction, for I set all men every one against his neighbor.

11 But now I won't be to the remainder of these people like in the previous days, says the Lord of hosts.

12 For the descendants shall be prosperous, the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew, and I'll cause the remnant of these people to possess all these things.

13 And it shall happen, that like you were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, so I'll save you, and you'll be a blessing, don't be afraid, but let your hands be strong.

14 For thus says the Lord of hosts, like I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to anger, says the Lord of hosts, and I didn't change my mind,

15 So again I've thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah, don't be afraid.

16 These are the things that you shall do, speak every man the truth to his neighbor, execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates,

17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and don't love any false oath, for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord."

18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,

19 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness to the house of Judah, and cheerful feasts, therefore love the truth and peace.

20 Thus says the Lord of hosts, "It shall yet occur, that people shall come, and the inhabitants of many cities,

21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, let's go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts, I will go also.

22 Yes, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord."

23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, "In those days it occur, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, shall take hold of the coat of him that is a Jew, saying, we'll go with you, for we've heard that God is with you."

___Zechariah chapter 9

1 The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest of it, when the eyes of man, like of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord.

2 And Hamath also shall border by that, Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise.

3 And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver like the dust, and fine gold like the mire in the streets.

4 See, the Lord will throw her out, and he'll strike her power in the sea, and she shall be devoured with fire.

5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear, Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron, for her expectation shall be ashamed, and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

6 And a bastard shall live in Ashdod, and I'll cut off the pride of the Philistines.

7 And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his dirty things from between his teeth, but he that remains, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be like a governor in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite.

8 And I will camp around my house because of the army, because of him that passes by, and because of him that returns, and no oppressor shall pass through them anymore, for now I've seen with my eyes.

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, see, your King comes to you, he is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding on an ass, and on a colt the foal of an ass.

10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the heathen, and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you also, by the blood of your covenant I've sent out your prisoners out of the pit in which there's no water.

12 Turn to the strong hold, you prisoners of hope, even today I declare that I'll render double to you,

13 When I've bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you like the sword of a mighty man.

14 And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go out like the lightning, and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

15 The Lord of hosts shall defend them, and they'll devour, and subdue with sling stones, and they'll drink, and make a noise as through wine, and they shall be filled like bowls, and like the corners of the altar.

16 And the Lord their God shall save them on that day like the flock of his people, for they'll be like the stones of a crown, lifted up like an ensign on his land.

17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!  Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

___Zechariah chapter 10

1 Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain, so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to everyone grass in the field.

2 For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams, they try to comfort with no effect, therefore they went their way like a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

3 My anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats, for the Lord of hosts has visited his flock the house of Judah, and has made them like his good horse in the battle.

4 Out of him came the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.

5 And they shall be like mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle, and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confused.

6 And I'll strengthen the house of Judah, and I'll save the house of Joseph, and I'll bring them again to place them, for I have mercy on them, and they shall be as though I had not thrown them away, for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them.

7 And those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice like by wine, yes, their children shall see it, and be glad, their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.

8 I will hiss for them, and gather them, for I've redeemed them, and they'll increase like they have increased.

9 And I'll plant them among the people, and they'll remember me in far countries, and they'll live with their children, and turn again.

10 I'll bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria, and I'll bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, and there won't be enough room for them.

11 And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall strike the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up, and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall go away.

12 And I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they'll walk up and down in his name, says the Lord.

___Zechariah chapter 11

1 Open your doors, O Lebanon, so the fire can devour your cedars.

2 Howl, fir tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the mighty are spoiled, howl, O you oaks of Bashan, for the forest of the vintage has come down.

3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds, for their glory has been spoiled, a voice of the roaring of young lions, for the pride of Jordan has been spoiled.

4 Thus says the Lord my God, "Feed the flock of the slaughter,

5 Whose possessors kill them, and consider themselves to be not guilty, and those who sell them say, blessed be the Lord, for I am rich, and their own shepherds don't pity them.

6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord, but see, I'll deliver every one of the men into his neighbor's hand, and into the hand of his king, and they shall strike the land, and out of their hand I won't give them deliverance.

7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock.  And I took to me two staves, the one I called beauty, and the other I called bands, and I fed the flock.

8 Also I cut off three shepherds in one month, and my soul hated them, and their soul also hated me.

9 Then I said, I won't feed you, whatever dies, let it die, and whatever is to be cut off, let it be cut off, and let every one of the rest eat the flesh of someone else.

10 And I took my staff, even beauty, and cut it in pieces, so I could break my covenant that I had made with all the people.

11 And it was broken on that day, and so the poor of the flock that waited on me knew that it was the word of the Lord.

12 And I said to them, if you think good, give me my price, and if not, don't.  So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said to me, throw it to the potter, a goodly price that I was prized at by them.  And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord.

14 Then I cut in pieces my other staff, bands, so I could break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the Lord said to me, take to you yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

16 For see, I'll raise up a shepherd in the land, that won't visit those who are cut off, nor shall seek the young one, nor heal what is broken, nor feed whatever stands still, but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaves the flock!  The sword shall be on his arm, and on his right eye, his arm shall be completely dried up, and his right eye shall be completely darkened."

___Zechariah chapter 12

1 The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.

2 "See, I'll make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the people all around, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

3 And on that day I'll make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people, all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth are gathered together against it.

4 On that day, says the Lord, I'll strike every horse with astonishment, and his rider with insanity, and I'll open my eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the people with blindness.

5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.

6 On that day I'll make the governors of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf, and they shall devour all the people all around, on the right hand and on the left, and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

7 The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem don't  magnify themselves against Judah.

8 On that day the Lord shall defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them.

9 And it shall happen on that day, that I'll seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 And I'll pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look at me whom they've pierced, and they'll mourn for him, like someone mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, like someone that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

11 On that day there'll be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart, the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart, the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart,

13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart, the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart,

14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart."

___Zechariah chapter 13

1 On that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

2 "And it shall occur on that day," says the Lord of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they won't be remembered anymore, and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

3 And it shall happen that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that parented him shall say to him, you shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord, and his father and his mother that parented him shall thrust a weapon through him when he prophesies.

4 And it shall occur on that day, that every one of the prophets shall be ashamed of his vision, when he has prophesied, nor shall they wear a rough garment to deceive,

5 But he shall say, I'm not a prophet, I'm a rancher, for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

6 And someone shall say to him, what are these wounds in yours hands?  Then he shall answer, those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, says the Lord of hosts, strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn my hand on the little ones.

8 And it shall occur, that in all the land, says the Lord, two thirds of it shall be cut off and die, but one third of it shall be left.

9 And I'll bring the one third of it through the fire, and will refine them like silver is refined, and will test them like gold is tested, they shall call on my name, and I'll hear them, I'll say, they are my people, and they'll say, the Lord is my God."

___Zechariah chapter 14

1 See, the day of the Lord comes, and your spoil shall be divided among you.

2 For I'll gather all nations against Jerusalem for battle, and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women raped, and half of the city shall go out into captivity, and the remainder of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

3 Then the Lord shall go out, and fight against those nations, like when he fought in the day of battle.

4 And his feet shall stand on that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall split in the middle of it toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall move toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

5 And you'll flee to the valley of the mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal, yes, you'll flee, like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with you.

6 And it shall happen on that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark,

7 But it shall be a day that shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night, but it shall happen, that at evening it shall be light.

8 And it shall be on that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea, in summer and in winter it shall be.

9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth, on that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one.

10 All the land shall be turned like a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem, and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in its place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel to the king's winepresses.

11 And men shall live in it, and there won't be any more complete destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people that have fought against Jerusalem, their flesh shall consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

13 And it shall happen on that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them, and everyone shall lay hold on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.

14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the heathen all around shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and clothing, in great abundance.

15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the animals that shall be in these tents, like this plague.

16 And it shall occur, that everyone that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

17 And it shall be, that whoever won't come up of all the families of the earth to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them it won't rain.

18 And if the family of Egypt doesn't go up, and doesn’t come, that have no rain, there shall be the plague, with which the Lord will strike the heathen that don't come up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that don't come up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

20 On that day there'll be on the bells of the horses, "Holiness To The Lord," and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts, and all of those who sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe in it, and on that day there won't be any more Canaanites in the house of the Lord of hosts.

___Malachi chapter 1

1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

2 "I have loved you, says the Lord."  Yet you say, "How have you loved us?"  "Wasn't Esau Jacob's brother?"  Says the Lord, "Yet I loved Jacob,

3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

4 But Edom says, we are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places, thus says the Lord of hosts, they shall build, but I will throw down, and they shall call them, the border of wickedness, and, the people against whom the Lord has indignation forever.

5 And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, the Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.

6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master, if then I'm a father, where is my honor?  And if I'm a master, where is my fear?  Says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, that despise my name.  And you say, how have we despised your name?

7 You offer polluted bread on my altar, and you say, how have we polluted you?  In that you say, the table of the Lord is contemptible.

8 And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil?  And if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?  Offer it now to your governor.  Will he be pleased with you, or accept your person?  Says the Lord of hosts.

9 And now, please, beg of God that he will be gracious to us, this has been by your means, will he regard your persons?  Says the Lord of hosts.

10 Who is there among you that would shut the doors for nothing?  Nor do you kindle fire on my altar for nothing.  I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from your hand.

11 For from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place, incense shall be offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name shall be great among the heathen, says the Lord of hosts.

12 But you have profaned it, in that you say, the table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit of it, his food, is contemptible.

13 You also said, see, what a weariness it is!  And you have snuffed at it, says the Lord of hosts, and you brought what was torn, and the lame, and the sick, this is how you brought an offering, should I accept this from your hand, says the Lord?

14 But cursed be the deceiver, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a corrupt thing, for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen."

___Malachi chapter 2

1 "And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you.

2 If you won't hear, and if you won't lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings, yes, I have cursed them already, because you don't lay it to heart.

3 See, I will corrupt your seed, and spread feces on your faces, the feces of your solemn feasts, and someone shall take you away with it.

4 And you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, so my covenant would be with Levi, says the Lord of hosts.

5 My covenant was with him of life and peace, and I gave them to him for the fear with which he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and sin was not found in his lips, he walked with me in peace and equity, and turned many away from sin.

7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

8 But you've departed out of the way, you have caused many to stumble at the law, you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts.

9 Therefore I've also made you contemptible and base before all the people, since you haven't kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

10 Don't we all have one father?  Hasn't one God created us?  Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and a dirty thing is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has profaned the holiness of the Lord that he loved, and has married the daughter of a strange god.

12 The Lord will cut off the man that does this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offers an offering to the Lord of hosts.

13 And this you've done again, covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with crying, and with shouting out, since he doesn't regard the offering anymore, nor receives it with good will from your hand.

14 Yet you say, why?  Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you've dealt treacherously, yet she is your companion, and the wife of your covenant.

15 And didn't he make one?  Yet he had the remainder of the spirit.  And why one?  So he could seek godly descendants.  Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, says that he hates divorce, for one covers violence with his garment, says the Lord of hosts, therefore take heed to your spirit, so that you don't deal treacherously.

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words.  Yet you say, how have we wearied him?  When you say, everyone that does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them, or, where is the God of justice?"

___Malachi chapter 3

1 "See, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in, see, he shall come, says the Lord of hosts.

2 But who can survive the day of his coming?  And who shall stand when he appears?  For he is like a refiner's fire, and like the bleacher's soap,

3 And he shall sit like a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them like gold and silver, so that they can offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.

4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant to the Lord, like in the old days, and like in years past.

5 And I will come near to you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those who oppress the worker regarding his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his rights, and don't fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

6 For I am the Lord, I don't change, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

7 Even from the days of your fathers you've gone away from my ordinances, and haven't kept them.  Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.  But you said, how shall we return?

8 Will a man rob God?  Yet you've robbed me.  But you say, how have we robbed you?  In tithes and offerings.

9 You are cursed with a curse, 'cause you've robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, so there'll be food in my house, and test me now with this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open to you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, such that there won't be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will reprimand the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, nor shall your vine throw its fruit in the field prematurely, says the Lord of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a delightsome land, says the Lord of hosts.

13 Your words have been stout against me, says the Lord.  Yet you say, what have we spoken so much against you?

14 You've said, it's useless to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?

15 And now we call the proud happy, yes, those who do wickedness are set up, yes, those who tempt God get deliverance.

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke often to each other, and the Lord listened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the Lord, and that thought on his name.

17 And they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them, like a man spares his own son that serves him.

18 Then you shall return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that doesn't serve him."

___Malachi chapter 4

1 "For, see, the day comes that shall burn like an oven, and all the proud, yes, and all who do wickedly, shall be kindling wood, and the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2 But to you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings, and you shall go out, and grow up like calves of the stall.

3 And you shall walk on the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of hosts.

4 Remember the law of Moses my servant, that I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

5 See, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord,

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, so I don't come and strike the earth with a curse.