Amos 4

1 Hear this word, ye cows of Bashan, who are in the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their lords, Bring, and let us drink.

Give ear to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are in the hill of Samaria, by whom the poor are kept down, and those in need are crushed; who say to their lords, Get out the wine and give us drink.

2 The lord Jehovah has sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that they shall take you away with hooks, and your residue with fish-hooks.

The Lord God has taken an oath by his holy name, that the days are coming when they will take you away with hooks, and the rest of you with fish-hooks.

3 And ye shall go out at the breaches, each one straight before her, and ye shall cast yourselves into Harmon, says Jehovah.

And you will go out through the broken places, every one going straight before her, and you will be sent into Harmon, says the Lord.

4 Come to Bethel and transgress, to Gilgal and multiply transgression. And bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes every three days.

Come to Beth-el and do evil; to Gilgal, increasing the number of your sins; come with your offerings every morning and your tenths every three days:

5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, and publish them. For this pleases you, O ye sons of Israel, says the lord Jehovah.

Let that which is leavened be burned as a praise-offering, let the news of your free offerings be given out publicly; for this is pleasing to you, O children of Israel, says the Lord.

6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places, yet ye have not returned to me, says Jehovah.

But in all your towns I have kept food from your teeth, and in all your places there has been need of bread: and still you have not come back to me, says the Lord.

7 And I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest. And I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city. One piece was rained upon, and the piece upon which it did not rain withered.

And I have kept back the rain from you, when it was still three months before the grain-cutting: I sent rain on one town and kept it back from another: one part was rained on, and the part where there was no rain became a waste.

8 So two or three cities wandered to one city to drink water, and were not satisfied. Yet ye have not returned to me, says Jehovah.

So two or three towns went wandering to one town looking for water, and did not get enough: and still you have not come back to me, says the Lord.

9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew. The multitude of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees the palmer-worm has devoured. Yet ye have not returned to me, says Jehovah.

I have sent destruction on your fields by burning and disease: the increase of your gardens and your vine-gardens, your fig-trees and your olive-trees, has been food for worms: and still you have not come back to me, says the Lord.

10 I have sent among you the pestilence according to the manner of Egypt. I have slain your young men with the sword, and have carried away your horses, and I have made the stench of your camp to come up even into your nostrils. Yet ye have not returned to me, says Jehovah.

I have sent disease among you, as it was in Egypt: I have put your young men to the sword, and have taken away your horses; I have made the evil smell from your tents come up to your noses: and still you have not come back to me, says the Lord.

11 I have overthrown cities among you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a brand plucked out of the burning. Yet ye have not returned to me, says Jehovah.

And I have sent destruction among you, as when God sent destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning stick pulled out of the fire: and still you have not come back to me, says the Lord.

12 Therefore thus I will do to thee, O Israel, and because I will do this to thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

So this is what I will do to you, O Israel: and because I will do this to you, be ready for a meeting with your God, O Israel.

13 For, lo, he who forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads upon the high places of the earth-Jehovah, the God of hosts, is his name.

For see, he who gave form to the mountains and made the wind, giving knowledge of his purpose to man, who makes the morning dark, and is walking on the high places of the earth: the Lord, the God of armies, is his name.