Amos 6

1 Woe to you that are wealthy in Sion, and to you that have confidence in the mountain of Samaria: ye great men, heads of the people, that go in with state into the house of Israel.

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 chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!

2 Pass ye over to Chalane, and see, and go from thence into Emath the great: and go down into Geth of the Philistines, and to all the best kingdoms of these: if their border be larger than your border.

Go to Calneh, and see. From there go to Hamath the great. Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Is their border greater than your border?

3 You that are separated unto the evil day: and that approach to the throne of iniquity;

Alas for you who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near,

4 You that sleep upon beds of ivory, and are wanton on your couches: that eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the herd;

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 middle of the stall,

5 You that sing to the sound of the psaltery: they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David;

who strum on the strings of a harp, who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;

6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best ointments: and they are not concerned for the affliction 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 Wherefore now they shall go captive at the head of them that go into captivity: and the faction of the luxurious ones shall be taken away.

Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive. The feasting and lounging will end.

8 The Lord God hath sworn by his own soul, saith the Lord the God of hosts: I detest the pride of Jacob, and I hate his houses, and I will deliver up the city with the inhabitants thereof.

“The Lord GOD 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 if there remain ten men in one house, they also shall die.

It will happen that if ten men remain in one house, they will die.

10 And a man’s kinsman shall take him up, and shall burn him, that he may carry the bones out of the house; and he shall say to him that is in the inner rooms of the house: Is there yet any with thee? And he shall answer: There is an end. And he shall any to him: Hold thy peace, and mention 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 LORD’s name.’

11 For behold the Lord hath commanded, and he will strike the greater house with breaches, and the lesser house with clefts.

“For, behold, the LORD commands, and the great house will be smashed to pieces, and the little house into bits.

12 Can horses run upon the rocks, or can any one plough with buffles? for you have turned judgment into bitterness, and the fruit of justice into wormwood.

Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plough there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness,

13 You that rejoice in a thing of nought: you that say: Have we not taken unto us horns by our own strength?

you who rejoice in a thing of nothing, who say, ‘Haven’t we taken for ourselves horns by our own strength?’

14 But behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall destroy you from the entrance of Emath, even to the torrent of the desert.

For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel,” says the LORD, the God of Hosts; “and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah.”