At the beginningof their livingthere,they did not fearthe LORD;therefore the LORDsentlionsamong them which killedsome of them.
Now when he had gone,a lionmethim on the wayand killedhim, and his bodywas thrownon the road,with the donkeystandingbesideit; the lionalso was standingbesidethe body.
Then he saidto him, "Becauseyou have not listenedto the voiceof the LORD,behold,as soon as you have departedfrom me, a lionwill killyou." And as soon as he had departedfrom him a lionfoundhim and killedhim.
So they spoketo the kingof Assyria,saying,"The nationswhomyou have carriedawayinto exilein the citiesof Samariado not knowthe customof the godof the land;so he has sentlionsamong them, and behold,they killthem becausethey do not knowthe customof the godof the land."
So oneof the priestswhomthey had carriedawayinto exilefrom Samariacameand livedat Bethel,and taughtthem howthey should fearthe LORD.
They also fearedthe LORDand appointedfrom amongthemselves priestsof the highplaces,who actedfor them in the housesof the highplaces.
To thisdaythey doaccording to the earliercustoms:they do not fearthe LORD,nordo they followtheir statutesor their ordinancesor the law,or the commandmentswhichthe LORDcommandedthe sonsof Jacob,whomHe namedIsrael;
So while thesenationsfearedthe LORD,they also servedtheir idols;their childrenlikewiseand their grandchildren,as their fathersdid,so they doto thisday.
When he lookedbehindhim and sawthem, he cursedthem in the nameof the LORD.Then twofemale bearscameout of the woodsand toreup forty-twoladsof their number.
For the watersof Dimonare fullof blood;SurelyI will bringadded[woes] upon Dimon,A lionupon the fugitivesof Moaband upon the remnantof the land.
Whowould not fearYou, O Kingof the nations?Indeedit is Your due!For among allthe wisemenof the nationsAnd in alltheir kingdoms,Thereis nonelikeYou.
"I will appointoverthem fourkinds[of doom]," declaresthe LORD:"the swordto slay,the dogsto dragoff, and the birdsof the skyand the beastsof the earthto devourand destroy.
Thereforea lionfrom the forestwill slaythem, A wolfof the desertswill destroythem, A leopardis watchingtheir cities.Everyonewho goesout of them will be tornin pieces,Becausetheir transgressionsare many,Their apostasiesare numerous.
"IfI were to cause wildbeaststo passthrough the landand they depopulatedit, and it becamedesolatesothat noonewould passthroughit becauseof the beasts,
For thussaysthe LordGOD,"HowmuchmorewhenI sendMy fourseverejudgmentsagainstJerusalem:sword,famine,wildbeastsand plagueto cutoffmanand beastfrom it!
"I makea decreethat in allthe dominionof my kingdommen are to fearand tremblebeforethe Godof Daniel;For He is the livingGodand enduringforever,And His kingdomis one whichwill not be destroyed,And His dominion[will be] forever.
I will letlooseamong you the beastsof the field,which will bereaveyou of your childrenand destroyyour cattleand reduceyour number so that your roadsliedeserted.
He saidto them, "I am a Hebrew,and I fearthe LORDGodof heavenwhomadethe seaand the dryland."
"For the LORDhas madethe Jordana borderbetweenus and you, [you] sonsof Reubenand sonsof Gad;you havenoportionin the LORD."So your sonsmay make our sonsstopfearingthe LORD.'
