Add parallel Print Page Options

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,

    and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria,
    the notable men of the chief of the nations,
    to whom the house of Israel come!
Go 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 is their border greater than your border?
Those who put far away the evil day,
    and cause the seat of violence to come near;
    Who 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;
    who strum on the strings of a harp;
    who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;
    who drink wine in bowls,
    and anoint themselves with the best oils;
    but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive;
    and the feasting and lounging will end.
“The Lord Yahweh has sworn by himself,” says Yahweh, the God of Armies:
    “I abhor the pride of Jacob,
    and detest his fortresses.
    Therefore I will deliver up the city with all that is in it.
It will happen, if there remain ten men in one house,
    that they shall die.

10 “When a man’s relative carries him, even he who burns him, to bring bodies out of the house, and asks him who is in the innermost parts of the house, ‘Is there yet any with you?’ And he says, ‘No;’ then he will say, ‘Hush! Indeed we must not mention Yahweh’s name.’

11 “For, behold, Yahweh commands, and the great house will be smashed to pieces,
    and the little house into bits.
12 Do horses run on the rocky crags?
    Does one plow there with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison,
    and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness;
13 you who rejoice in a thing of nothing, who say,
    ‘Haven’t we taken for ourselves horns by our own strength?’
14 For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel,”
    says Yahweh, the God of Armies;
    “and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah.”

Woe to the Complacent

Woe to you(A) who are complacent(B) in Zion,
    and to you who feel secure(C) on Mount Samaria,(D)
you notable men of the foremost nation,
    to whom the people of Israel come!(E)
Go to Kalneh(F) and look at it;
    go from there to great Hamath,(G)
    and then go down to Gath(H) in Philistia.
Are they better off than(I) your two kingdoms?
    Is their land larger than yours?
You put off the day of disaster
    and bring near a reign of terror.(J)
You lie on beds adorned with ivory
    and lounge on your couches.(K)
You dine on choice lambs
    and fattened calves.(L)
You strum away on your harps(M) like David
    and improvise on musical instruments.(N)
You drink wine(O) by the bowlful
    and use the finest lotions,
    but you do not grieve(P) over the ruin of Joseph.(Q)
Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;(R)
    your feasting and lounging will end.(S)

The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel

The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself(T)—the Lord God Almighty declares:

“I abhor(U) the pride of Jacob(V)
    and detest his fortresses;(W)
I will deliver up(X) the city
    and everything in it.(Y)

If ten(Z) people are left in one house, they too will die. 10 And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them[a](AA) asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush!(AB) We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

11 For the Lord has given the command,
    and he will smash(AC) the great house(AD) into pieces
    and the small house into bits.(AE)

12 Do horses run on the rocky crags?
    Does one plow the sea[b] with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison(AF)
    and the fruit of righteousness(AG) into bitterness(AH)
13 you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar[c]
    and say, “Did we not take Karnaim[d] by our own strength?(AI)

14 For the Lord God Almighty declares,
    “I will stir up a nation(AJ) against you, Israel,
that will oppress you all the way
    from Lebo Hamath(AK) to the valley of the Arabah.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 6:10 Or to make a funeral fire in honor of the dead
  2. Amos 6:12 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text plow there
  3. Amos 6:13 Lo Debar means nothing.
  4. Amos 6:13 Karnaim means horns; horn here symbolizes strength.