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Judgment on Israel’s elite

    Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
        who are on Mount Samaria,
        who cheat the weak,
        who crush the needy,
        who say to their husbands, “Bring drinks, so we can get drunk!”
    The Lord God has solemnly promised by his holiness:
        The days are surely coming upon you,
        when they will take you away with hooks,
        even the last one of you with fishhooks.
    You will go out through the broken wall,
        each one after another;
        and you will be flung out into Harmon,
says the Lord.

A divine taunt

    Come to Bethel—and commit a crime;
        multiply crimes at Gilgal.
    Bring your sacrifices every morning,
        your tenth-part gifts every three days.
    Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice of leavened bread,
        and publicize your gifts to the Lord;
        for so you love to do, people of Israel!
says the Lord God.

Israel’s stubbornness

    I have sent a famine in all your cities,
        and not provided enough bread in all your places,
        yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
    I also withheld rain from you
        when there were still three months to the harvest.
    I allowed rain to fall on one city,
        no rain to fall on another city.
    One field was rained on,
        and the field dried up where it didn’t rain.
    So two or three thirsty towns went to one city to drink water, and weren’t satisfied;
        yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.

    I struck you with disease and mildew.
        I destroyed your gardens and your vineyards.
    The locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
        yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.

10 I sent a plague against you like the one in Egypt.
        I killed your young men with the sword.
    I carried away your horses.
        I made the stink of your camp go up into your nostrils;
        yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.

11 I destroyed some of you,
        as when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
    You were like a burning coal plucked out of the fire;
        yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
12 Truly, Israel,
    I will act in this way toward you;
        therefore, I will do this to you.
        Prepare to meet your God, Israel!

13 The one who forms the mountains, creates the wind,
        makes known his thoughts to humankind,
    makes the morning darkness,
        and moves over the heights of the earth—
        the Lord, the God of heavenly forces is his name!

Israel Has Not Returned to God

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan(A) on Mount Samaria,(B)
    you women who oppress the poor(C) and crush the needy(D)
    and say to your husbands,(E) “Bring us some drinks!(F)
The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
    “The time(G) will surely come
when you will be taken away(H) with hooks,(I)
    the last of you with fishhooks.[a]
You will each go straight out
    through breaches in the wall,(J)
    and you will be cast out toward Harmon,[b]
declares the Lord.
“Go to Bethel(K) and sin;
    go to Gilgal(L) and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,(M)
    your tithes(N) every three years.[c](O)
Burn leavened bread(P) as a thank offering
    and brag about your freewill offerings(Q)
boast about them, you Israelites,
    for this is what you love to do,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.

“I gave you empty stomachs in every city
    and lack of bread in every town,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(R)

“I also withheld(S) rain from you
    when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
    but withheld it from another.(T)
One field had rain;
    another had none and dried up.
People staggered from town to town for water(U)
    but did not get enough(V) to drink,
    yet you have not returned(W) to me,”
declares the Lord.(X)

“Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
    destroying them with blight and mildew.(Y)
Locusts(Z) devoured your fig and olive trees,(AA)
    yet you have not returned(AB) to me,”
declares the Lord.

10 “I sent plagues(AC) among you
    as I did to Egypt.(AD)
I killed your young men(AE) with the sword,
    along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench(AF) of your camps,
    yet you have not returned to me,”(AG)
declares the Lord.(AH)

11 “I overthrew some of you
    as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.(AI)
You were like a burning stick(AJ) snatched from the fire,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(AK)

12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
    and because I will do this to you, Israel,
    prepare to meet your God.”

13 He who forms the mountains,(AL)
    who creates the wind,(AM)
    and who reveals his thoughts(AN) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth(AO)
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:2 Or away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets
  2. Amos 4:3 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) out, you mountain of oppression
  3. Amos 4:4 Or days