AME Zion Universal Reading November 14th 2021

Sunday School Zoom Link

Revelation 11:1–19 (NLT): The Two Witnesses

Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. 2 But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”

4 These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. 9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10 All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.

11 But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. 12 Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.

13 At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.

The Seventh Trumpet Brings the Third Terror

15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,

and he will reign forever and ever.”

16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. 17 And they said,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,

the one who is and who always was,

for now you have assumed your great power

and have begun to reign.

18 The nations were filled with wrath,

but now the time of your wrath has come.

It is time to judge the dead

and reward your servants the prophets,

as well as your holy people,

and all who fear your name,

from the least to the greatest.

It is time to destroy

all who have caused destruction on the earth.”

19 Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm.

First Portion

Genesis Chapter 28

10And Jacob left Beer sheba, and he went to Haran.11And he arrived at the place and lodged there because the sun had set, and he took some of the stones of the place and placed [them] at his head, and he lay down in that place.12And he dreamed, and behold! a ladder set up on the ground and its top reached to heaven; and behold, angels of God were ascending and descending upon it.13And behold, the Lord was standing over him, and He said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land upon which you are lying to you I will give it and to your seed.14And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall gain strength westward and eastward and northward and southward; and through you shall be blessed all the families of the earth and through your seed.15And behold, I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go, and I will restore you to this land, for I will not forsake you until I have done what I have spoken concerning you."16And Jacob awakened from his sleep, and he said, "Indeed, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know [it]."17And he was frightened, and he said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."18And Jacob arose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had placed at his head, and he set it up as a monument, and he poured oil on top of it.19And he named the place Beth El, but Luz was orignally the name of the city.20And Jacob uttered a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and He will guard me on this way, upon which I am going, and He will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear;21And if I return in peace to my father's house, and the Lord will be my God;22Then this stone, which I have placed as a monument, shall be a house of God, and everything that You give me, I will surely tithe to You.

Second Portion

Genesis Chapter 29

1Now Jacob lifted his feet and went to the land of the people of the East.2And he looked, and behold! a well in the field, and behold! three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because from that well they would water the flocks, and a huge rock was upon the mouth of the well.3And all the flocks would gather there, and they would roll the rock off the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and [then] they would return the rock onto the mouth of the well, to its place.4And Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."5And he said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know [him]."6And he said to them, "[Are things going] well with him?" And they said, "[Things are going] well, and behold, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep."7And he said, "The day is yet long; it is not the time to take in the livestock. Water the sheep and go, pasture."8And they said, "We cannot [do that], until all the flocks are gathered together, and they will roll the rock off the mouth of the well, and we shall [then] water the sheep."9While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.10And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob drew near and rolled the rock off the mouth of the well, and he watered the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.11And Jacob kissed Rachel, and he raised his voice and wept.12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman and that he was Rebecca's son, and she ran and told her father.13Now it came to pass when Laban heard the report of Jacob, his sister's son, that he ran towards him, and he embraced him, and he kissed him, and he brought him into his house. He told Laban all these happenings.14And Laban said to him, "Indeed, you are my bone and my flesh." And so he stayed with him a full month.15And Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you work for me gratis? Tell me what your wages shall be."16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.17Leah's eyes were tender, but Rachel had beautiful features and a beautiful complexion.

Monday

Psalm 47:1–9 (NLT):

1 Come, everyone! Clap your hands!

Shout to God with joyful praise!

2 For the Lord Most High is awesome.

He is the great King of all the earth.

3 He subdues the nations before us,

putting our enemies beneath our feet.

4 He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,

the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves.

Interlude

5 God has ascended with a mighty shout.

The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7 For God is the King over all the earth.

Praise him with a psalm.

8 God reigns above the nations,

sitting on his holy throne.

9 The rulers of the world have gathered together

with the people of the God of Abraham.

For all the kings of the earth belong to God.

He is highly honored everywhere.

Third Portion

Genesis Chapter 29

18And Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, "I will work for you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter."19And Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than I should give her to another man. Stay with me."20So Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, but they appeared to him like a few days because of his love for her.21And Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are completed, that I may come to her."22So Laban gathered all the people of the place, and he made a feast.23And it came to pass in the evening that Laban took his daughter Leah, and he brought her to him, and he came to her.24And Laban gave Zilpah his maidservant to his daughter Leah as a maidservant.25And it came to pass in the morning, and behold she was Leah! So he said to Laban, "What is this that you have done to me? Did I not work with you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?"26And Laban said, "It is not done so in our place to give the younger one before the firstborn.27Complete the [wedding] week of this one, and we will give you this one too, for the work that you will render me for another seven years."28And Jacob did so, and he completed the week of this one, and he gave his daughter Rachel to him as a wife.29And Laban gave his daughter Rachel his maidservant Bilhah, for a maidservant.30And he came also to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah; and he worked with him yet another seven years.31And the Lord saw that Leah was hated, so He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.32And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the Lord has seen my affliction, for now my husband will love me."33And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, "Since the Lord has heard that I am hated, He gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.34And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, "Now this time my husband will be attached to me, for I have borne him three sons; therefore, He named him Levi.35And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, "This time, I will thank the Lord! Therefore, she named him Judah, and [then] she stopped bearing.Genesis Chapter 30 1And Rachel saw that she had not borne [any children] to Jacob, and Rachel envied her sister, and she said to Jacob, "Give me children, and if not, I am dead."2And Jacob became angry with Rachel, and he said, "Am I instead of God, Who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"3So she said, "Here is my maidservant Bilhah; come to her, and she will bear [children] on my knees, so that I, too, will be built up from her."4So she gave him her maidservant Bilhah for a wife, and Jacob came to her.5And Bilhah conceived, and she bore Jacob a son.6And Rachel said, "God has judged me, and He has also hearkened to my voice and has given me a son"; so she named him Dan.7And Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.8And Rachel said, "[With] divine bonds I have been joined to my sister; I have also prevailed"; so she named him Naftali.9When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing [children], she took her maidservant Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob for a wife.10And Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, bore Jacob a son.11And Leah said, "Luck has come"; so she named him Gad.12And Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, bore Jacob a second son.13And Leah said, "Because of my good fortune, for women have declared me fortunate"; so she named him Asher.

Tuesday

Daniel 4:34–37 (NLT): Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

34 “After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.

His rule is everlasting,

and his kingdom is eternal.

35 All the people of the earth

are nothing compared to him.

He does as he pleases

among the angels of heaven

and among the people of the earth.

No one can stop him or say to him,

‘What do you mean by doing these things?’

36 “When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before.

37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

Fourth Portion

Genesis Chapter 30

14Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest, and he found dudaim in the field and brought them to Leah, his mother, and Rachel said to Leah, "Now give me some of your son's dudaim."15And she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband, that [you wish] also to take my son's dudaim?" So Rachel said, "Therefore, he shall sleep with you tonight as payment for your son's dudaim."16When Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah came forth toward him, and she said, "You shall come to me, because I have hired you with my son's dudaim," and he slept with her on that night.17And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.18And Leah said, "God has given [me] my reward for I have given my maidservant to my husband"; so she named him Issachar.19And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son.20And Leah said, "God has given me a good portion. This time, my husband will live with me, for I have borne him six sons"; so she named him Zebulun.21And afterwards, she bore a daughter, and she named her Dinah.22And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and He opened her womb.23And she conceived and bore a son, and she said, "God has taken away my reproach."24So she named him Joseph, saying, "May the Lord grant me yet another son!"25It came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, and I will go to my place and to my land.26Give [me] my wives and my children for whom I worked for you, and I will go, for you know my work, which I have worked for you."27And Laban said to him, "If only I have now found favor in your eyes! I have divined, and the Lord has blessed me for your sake."

Wednesday

Jude 20–25 (NLT):

20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

A Prayer of Praise

24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Fifth Portion

Genesis Chapter 30

28Then he said, "Specify your wages for me, and I will give [them]."29And he said to him, "You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock was with me.30For the little that you had before me has increased in multitude, and the Lord blessed you upon my arrival; but now, when will I, too, provide [something] for my household? "31And he said, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said, "You shall give me nothing; if you do this thing for me, I will return, I will pasture your flocks, [and] I will watch [them].32I will pass throughout all your flocks today, removing from there every speckled and spotted kid, and every brown lamb among the sheep, and [every] spotted and speckled [one from] among the goats, and this shall be my wages.33And my righteousness will testify for me at a future date for it will come upon my wages before you. Whatever is not speckled or spotted among the goats or brown among the sheep [shall be counted as] stolen with me."34And Laban said, "Very well! If only it would be as you say!"35And he removed on that day the ringed and the spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats, whichever had white on it, and all the brown [from] among the sheep, and he gave [them] into the hands of his sons.36And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob tended Laban's remaining animals.37And Jacob took himself moist rod[s] of trembling poplar and hazelnut, and chestnut, and he peeled white streaks upon them, baring the white that was on the rods.38And he thrust the rods that he had peeled, into the gutters in the watering troughs where the animals would come to drink opposite the [other] animals, and they would come into heat when they came to drink.39And the flocks came into heat by the rods, and the animals bore ringed, spotted, and striped [young].40And Jacob separated the sheep, and he turned the faces of the animals toward the ringed one[s] and every brown one among Laban's animals, and he made himself flocks by himself, and he did not place them with Laban's animals.41And it came to pass, that whenever the animals that were bearing their first would come into heat, Jacob would place the rods in the troughs, before the eyes of the animals, [in order] to bring them into heat by [means of] the rods.42But if the animals would delay, he would not place them, so that the ones that delayed were Laban's, and the ones that bore their first became Jacob's.43And the man became exceedingly wealthy, and he had prolific animals, and maidservants and manservants, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis Chapter 31

1And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken all that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father, he has amassed this entire fortune."2And Jacob saw Laban's countenance, that he was not disposed toward him as [he had been] yesterday and the day before.3And the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your forefathers and to your birthplace, and I will be with you."4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flocks.5And he said to them, "I see your father's countenance, that he is not disposed toward me [as he was] yesterday and the day before, but the God of my father was with me.6And you know that with all my might I served your father.7But your father mocked me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me.8If he would say thus, 'Speckled ones shall be your wages,' all the animals would bear speckled ones, and if he would say thus, 'Ringed ones shall be your wages,' all the animals would bear ringed ones.9Thus, God separated your father's livestock and gave it to me.10And it came to pass at the time the animals came into heat, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the he goats that mounted the animals were ringed, speckled, and striped.11And an angel of God said to me in a dream, 'Jacob!' And I said, 'Here I am.'12And he said, 'Now lift your eyes and see [that] all the he goats mounting the animals are ringed, speckled, and striped, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.13I am the God of Beth el, where you anointed a monument, where you pronounced to Me a vow. Now, arise, go forth from this land and return to the land of your birth.'"14And Rachel and Leah replied and said to him, "Do we still have a share or an inheritance in our father's house?15Are we not considered by him as strangers, for he sold us and also consumed our money?16But all the wealth that God separated from our father is ours and our children's. So now, all that God said to you, do."

Thursday

Psalm 10:12–18 (NLT):

12 Arise, O Lord!

Punish the wicked, O God!

Do not ignore the helpless!

13 Why do the wicked get away with despising God?

They think, “God will never call us to account.”

14 But you see the trouble and grief they cause.

You take note of it and punish them.

The helpless put their trust in you.

You defend the orphans.

15 Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!

Go after them until the last one is destroyed.

16 The Lord is king forever and ever!

The godless nations will vanish from the land.

17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.

Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,

so mere people can no longer terrify them.

Sixth Portion

Genesis Chapter 31

17So Jacob rose, and he lifted up his sons and his wives upon the camels.18And he led all his livestock and all his possessions that he had acquired, the purchase of his acquisition, which he had acquired in Padan aram, to come to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and [meanwhile] Rachel stole her father's teraphim.20And Jacob concealed from Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.21So he and all that were his fled, and he arose and crossed the river, and he directed his face toward Mount Gilead.22On the third day, Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.23So he took his kinsmen with him, and he pursued him seven days' journey, and he overtook him at Mount Gilead.24And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night, and He said to him, "Beware lest you speak with Jacob either good or evil."25And Laban overtook Jacob, and Jacob pitched his tent on the mountain, and Laban pitched with his kinsmen on Mount Gilead.26And Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you concealed from me, and led away my daughters like prisoners of war?27Why have you fled secretly, and concealed from me, and not told me? I would have sent you away with joy and with songs, and with drum and with harp.28And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and daughters. Now, you have acted foolishly.29I have the power to inflict harm upon you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Beware of speaking with Jacob either good or bad.'30But now, you have gone away, for you longed for your father's house, [but]why have you stolen my gods?"31And Jacob replied, and he said to Laban, "Because I was afraid, because I said, 'Lest you steal your daughters from me.'32The one with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our brothers, recognize for yourself what is with me, and take [it] for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.33So Laban entered Jacob's tent and Leah's tent and the tent[s] of the two handmaids, but he did not find [them]; and he had come out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.34But Rachel had taken the teraphim and placed them into the camel saddle and sat upon them; so Laban felt about the entire tent but did not find [them].35And she said to her father, "Let my lord not be annoyed, for I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me." So he searched, but did not find the teraphim.36And Jacob was annoyed, and he quarreled with Laban, and he said to Laban, "What is my transgression? What is my sin, that you have pursued me?37For you have felt about all my things. What have you found of all the utensils of your house? Put it here, in the presence of my kinsmen and your kinsmen, and let them decide between the two of us.38Already twenty years have I been with you, and your ewes and she goats have not aborted, neither have I eaten the rams of your flocks.39I have not brought home to you anything torn [by other animals]; I would suffer its loss; from my hand you would demand it, what was stolen by day and what was stolen at night.40I was [in the field] by day when the heat consumed me, and the frost at night, and my sleep wandered from my eyes.41This is twenty years that I have spent in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your animals, and you changed my wages ten times.42Had not the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, been for me, you would now have sent me away empty handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and He reproved [you] last night."

Friday

Revelation 11:3–10 (NLT):

3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”

4 These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. 9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10 All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.

Seventh Portion

Genesis Chapter 31

43And Laban answered and said to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the animals are my animals, and all that you see is mine. Now, what would I do to these daughters of mine today, or to their children, whom they have borne?44So now, come, let us form a covenant, you and I, and may He be a witness between me and you."45So Jacob took a stone and set it up [as] a monument.46And Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones," and they took stones and made a pile, and they ate there by the pile.47And Laban called it Yegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Gal ed.48And Laban said, "This pile is a witness between me and you today." Therefore, he called it Gal ed.49And Mizpah, because he said, "May the Lord look between me and you when we are hidden from each other.50If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters when no one is with us, behold! God is a witness between me and you."51And Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this pile and behold this monument, which I have cast between me and you.52This pile is a witness, and this monument is a witness, that I will not pass this pile [to go] to you and that you shall not pass this pile and this monument to [come to] me to [do] harm.53May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor judge between us, the god of their father." And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.54And Jacob slaughtered a slaughtering on the mountain, and he invited his friends to eat a meal, and they ate bread and lodged on the mountain.

Genesis Chapter 32

1And Laban arose early in the morning and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them, and Laban went and returned to his place.2And Jacob went on his way, and angels of God met him.3And Jacob said when he saw them, "This is the camp of God," and he named the place Mahanaim.

Saturday

Psalm 93:1–5 (NLT):

1 The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.

Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.

The world stands firm

and cannot be shaken.

2 Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.

You yourself are from the everlasting past.

3 The floods have risen up, O Lord.

The floods have roared like thunder;

the floods have lifted their pounding waves.

4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,

mightier than the breakers on the shore—

the Lord above is mightier than these!

5 Your royal laws cannot be changed.

Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.

Maftir Portion

Genesis Chapter 32

1And Laban arose early in the morning and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them, and Laban went and returned to his place.2And Jacob went on his way, and angels of God met him.3And Jacob said when he saw them, "This is the camp of God," and he named the place Mahanaim.

Haftarah

Hosea Chapter 11

7And My people waver whether to return to Me, and to the matter concerning which they call them, together they do not uphold [it].8How shall I give you, Ephraim? [How] deliver you, O Israel? How shall I make you as Admah, make you as Zeboyim? My heart is turned within Me, together My remorse has been kindled.9I will not execute the kindling of My anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not a man. In your midst is the Holy One, and I will not enter a city.10They shall follow the Lord, He shall roar like a lion; for He shall roar, and the children shall hasten from the west.11They shall hasten like a bird from Egypt and like a dove from the land of Assyria; and I will place them in their houses, says the Lord.

Hosea Chapter 12

1Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still rules with God, and with the Holy One he is faithful.2Ephraim joins the wind and chases the east wind; all day he increases deceit and plunder, and they make a treaty with Assyria, and oil is brought to Egypt.3Now the Lord has a contention with Judah, and to visit upon Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds He shall recompense him.4In the womb, he seized his brother's heel, and with his strength he strove with an angel.5He strove with an angel and prevailed; he wept and beseeched him; In Bethel he shall find Him, and there He shall speak with us.6And the Lord is the God of the hosts; the Lord is His Name.7And you shall return by your God: keep loving-kindness and justice, and hope to your God always.8A trafficker who has deceitful scales in his hand; he loves to oppress.9And Ephraim said: Surely I have become rich; I have found power for myself; all my toils shall not suffice for my iniquity which is sin.10And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will yet make you dwell in tents as in the days of the [early] times.11And I spoke to the prophets, and I increased their visions; and to the prophets I assumed likenesses.12If there is violence in Gilead, it is because they were but vanity; in Gilgal they sacrificed oxen; also their altars were like heaps on the furrows of the field.13And Jacob fled to the field of Aram; and Israel worked for a wife, and for a wife he guarded.14And, through a prophet, the Lord brought up Israel from Egypt, and through a prophet they were guarded.