And the songs of the Temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: many dead bodies shall be in every place: they shall cast them forth with [a]silence.

Hear this, O ye that [b]swallow up the poor, that ye may make the needy of the land to fail,

Saying, When will the [c]new month be gone, that we may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, and make [d]the Ephah small and the shekel great, and falsify the weights by deceit?

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 8:3 There shall be none left to mourn for them.
  2. Amos 8:4 By staying the sale of food, and necessary things which you have gotten into your own hands, and so cause the poor to spend quickly that little that they have, and at length for necessity to become your slaves.
  3. Amos 8:5 When the dearth was once come they were so greedy of gain, that they thought the holy day to be an hindrance unto them.
  4. Amos 8:5 That is, the measure small, and the price great.

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “the songs in the temple will turn to wailing.[a](A) Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!(B)

Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor(C) of the land,(D)

saying,

“When will the New Moon(E) be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market(F) wheat?”(G)
skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating(H) with dishonest scales,(I)

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 8:3 Or “the temple singers will wail