Amos 6
1 How disastrous it will be for you who have an easy life in Zion, and you who feel secure living on Mount Samaria—you who are the most famous men in all of Israel to whom people come for help!
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.
2 But go to Calneh, and see what took place there. Then go on to the great city of Hamath, and down to the Philistine city of Gath. Were they better kingdoms than yours? Did they have more territory than you?
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.
3 You put out of your minds any thought of coming disaster, yet you are bringing closer the time when violence reigns.
You who are approaching the evil day, who are drawing near and adopting false sabbaths;
4 How disastrous it will be for you people who lie on beds decorated with ivory and lounge on couches, eating lamb from your flocks and fattened calves from the stall.
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;
5 You make up songs accompanied by the harp, thinking you're great composers like David.
who excel in the sound of musical instruments; they have regarded them as dwelling, not as fleeting [pleasures];
6 You drink wine by the bowlful, and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph's descendants.
who drink strained wine, and anoint themselves with the best ointment; and have suffered nothing on occasion of the calamity of Joseph.
7 So you will be at the head of those led away into exile; the feasting and lazing around will be over.
Therefore now shall they depart into captivity from the dominion of princes, and the neighing of horses shall be cut off from Ephraim.
8 The Lord God has sworn an oath on his own life. This is what the Lord God of power declares: I detest Jacob's arrogance and I hate his fortresses; I will hand over this city and all in it to the enemy.
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.
9 If there are ten people in a house, they will die.
And it shall come to pass, if there be ten men left in one house, that they shall die.
10 And when a relative comes to take away the bodies from the house, he will ask someone inside “Is there anyone else with you?” The person will reply, “No...” Then the other will say, “Quiet! Don't even mention the Lord's name.”
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.
11 Watch out! When the Lord gives the command, large houses will be reduced to rubble, and small houses smashed to pieces.
For, behold, the Lord commands, and he will strike the great house with breaches, and the little house with rents.
12 Can horses gallop over rocks? Can oxen plow the sea? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of doing good into bitterness!
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:
13 You joyfully celebrate your conquest of Lodebar, and say “Didn't we in our own strength capture Karnaim?”
you who rejoice at vanity, who say, Have we not possessed horns by our own strength?
14 Watch out, people of Israel! I am going to send an enemy nation to attack you, says the Lord God of power, and they will oppress you from the Pass of Hamath to the Arabah Valley.
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.
