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.
Listen to this message, you well-fed cows of Bashan who live on Mount Samaria, who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who order your husbands, “Bring us drinks!”
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 sworn by his holiness: Watch out! For the time is coming when they will drag you away with hooks, each one of you will be like a fish on a hook.
3 And ye shall go out at the breaches, each one straight before her, and ye shall cast yourselves into Harmon, says Jehovah.
You will leave through breaches in the city walls, thrown out in the direction of Mount Hermon.
4 Come to Bethel and transgress, to Gilgal and multiply transgression. And bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes every three days.
Why don't you go to Bethel and sin? Go to Gilgal and add to your sins even more? Offer your sacrifices in the morning, bring your tithes after 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.
Burn a thank offering of bread made with yeast, and announce what you're giving as freewill offerings so everyone will know. This is what you love to do! declares the Lord God.
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.
It was I who made sure you had nothing to eat in all your cities, and a lack of food wherever you lived, but still you wouldn't return 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.
It was I who kept the rain from falling when there was still three months before harvest. One city would have rain, while another would not. One field would have rain, another would dry up from lack of rain.
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.
People wandered from town to town looking for water, yet were still thirsty. But still you did not return to me, declares 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 struck your many farms and vineyards with blight and mildew; locusts devoured your fig trees and olive trees. But still you did not return to me, declares 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 sent a plague on you like I did in Egypt. I killed your young men in battle; I took away your horses; I made you smell the stench of dead bodies in your camps. But still you did not return to me, declares 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.
Some of you I destroyed as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick pulled out of a fire. But still you did not return to me, declares 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.
Therefore, this is what I am going to do to you, Israel. Because I am going to do this, Israel, prepare to meet your God!
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.
Watch! The One who made the mountains, who created the winds, who reveals his thoughts to humankind, who turns the sunlight into darkness, who walks on the high places of the earth—the Lord God of power is his name!
