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Warnings to the self-satisfied

    Doom to those resting comfortably in Zion
        and those trusting in Mount Samaria,
    the chiefs of the nations,
        to whom the house of Israel comes!
    Cross over to Calneh and see;
        from there go to Hamath the great;
        then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
    Are you better than these kingdoms?
        Or is your territory greater than their territory?

    Doom to those who ignore the evil day
        and make violent rule draw near:
    who lie on beds of ivory,
        stretch out on their couches,
        eat lambs from the flock,
        and bull calves from the stall;
    who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
        and, like David, compose tunes on musical instruments;
    who drink bowls of wine,
        put the best of oils on themselves,
        but who aren’t grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
    Therefore, they will now be the first to be taken away,
        and the feast of those who lounged at the table will pass away.

    The Lord God has solemnly sworn,
    says the Lord, the God of heavenly forces:
    I reject the pride of Jacob.
        I hate his fortresses.
        I will hand over the city and all that is in it.
    If ten people remain in one house,
        then they will die.
10 If a relative, someone who burns the dead,
        picks up the body to bring it out of the house,
        and says to someone inside the house,
    “Is anyone else with you?”
        the answer will be, “No.”
    Then the relative will say,
        “Hush! We mustn’t mention the name of the Lord.”
11 Look, the Lord is giving an order;
        he will shatter the great house into bits
        and the little house into pieces.
12 Do horses run on rocks?
        Does one plow the sea with oxen?
    But you have turned justice into poison
        and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness—
13     you who rejoice in Lo-debar,
    who say, “Haven’t we by our own strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?”
14 Indeed, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel, says the Lord God of heavenly forces,
    and they will oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the desert ravine.

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.