< Amos 6 >
1 Woe to them that set at nothing Sion, and that trust in the mountain of Samaria: they have gathered [the harvest of] the heads of the nations, and they have gone in themselves.
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the foremost of nations, to whom the house of Israel come.
2 O house of Israel, pass by all [of you], and see; and pass by thence to Ematrabba; and thence descend to Geth of the Philistines, the chief of all these kingdoms, [see] if their coasts are greater than your coasts.
Go to Calneh, and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater than your border?
3 You who are approaching the evil day, who are drawing near and adopting false sabbaths;
Those who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 who sleep upon beds of ivory, and live delicately on their couches, and eat kids out of the flocks, and sucking calves out of the midst of the stalls;
Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5 who excel in the sound of musical instruments; they have regarded them as dwelling, not as fleeting [pleasures];
who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;
6 who drink strained wine, and anoint themselves with the best ointment; and have suffered nothing on occasion of the calamity of Joseph.
who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore now shall they depart into captivity from the dominion of princes, and the neighing of horses shall be cut off from Ephraim.
Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; and the feasting and lounging will end.
8 For the Lord has sworn by himself, [saying], Because I abhor all the pride of Jacob, I do also hate his countries, and I will cut off [his] city with all who inhabit it.
"The LORD has sworn by himself," says the LORD, the God of hosts: "I abhor the pride of Jacob, and detest his fortresses. Therefore I will deliver up the city with all that is in it.
9 And it shall come to pass, if there be ten men left in one house, that they shall die.
And it will be, if there remain ten men in one house, they will die, and the remaining ones will be left.
10 But a remnant shall be left behind, and their relations shall take them, and shall strenuously endeavour to carry forth their bones from the house: and one shall say to the heads of the house, Is there yet [any one] else with you? And he shall say, No [one] else. And [the other] shall say, Be silent, that you name not the name of the Lord.
"When a man's relative carries him, even he who burns him, to bring bodies out of the house, and asks him who is in the innermost parts of the house, 'Is there yet any with you?' And he says, 'No;' then he will say, 'Hush. Indeed we must not mention the name of the LORD.'
11 For, behold, the Lord commands, and he will strike the great house with breaches, and the little house with rents.
"For, look, the LORD commands, and the great house will be smashed to pieces, and the little house into bits.
12 Will horses run upon rocks? will they refrain from neighing at mares? for you have turned judgement into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness:
Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness;
13 you who rejoice at vanity, who say, Have we not possessed horns by our own strength?
you who rejoice in Lo Debar, who say, 'Haven't we taken for ourselves Karnaim by our own strength?'
14 For behold, O house of Israel, I will raise up against you a nation, says the Lord of hosts; and they shall afflict you so that you shall not enter into Aemath, and as it were [from] the river of the wilderness.
For, look, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel," says the LORD, the God of hosts; "and they will afflict you from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi Arabah."