< Amos 6 >
1 Woe to those that are free from care in Zion, and that are in safety on the mount of Samaria, who are named the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!
Woe to those at ease in Zion and those secure on Mount Samaria, the distinguished ones of the foremost nation, to whom the house of Israel comes.
2 Pass ye over unto Calneh, and see; and go from there to Chamath-rabbah; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: whether they be better than these kingdoms? or whether their territory be greater than your territory?
Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?
3 [Ye] that deem far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
You dismiss the day of calamity and bring near a reign of violence.
4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and are stretched out upon their couches, and eat lambs out of the flock, and calves out of the midst of the stall;
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge upon your couches. You dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall.
5 That chant to the sound of the psaltery, and like David's do they imagine their instrument of music to be;
You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments.
6 That drink out of wine-bowls, and anoint themselves with the costliest of ointments; but who feel no pain for the wound of Joseph.
You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
7 Therefore now shall they go into exile at the head of exiles, and the noisy banquet of those that were stretched out shall pass away.
Therefore, you will now go into exile as the first of the captives, and your feasting and lounging will come to an end.
8 The Lord Eternal hath sworn by his own existence, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the pride of Jacob, and his palaces do I hate: therefore will I surrender up [to the enemy] the city with all that filleth it.
The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself—the LORD, the God of Hosts, has declared: “I abhor Jacob’s pride and detest his citadels, so I will deliver up the city and everything in it.”
9 And it shall come to pass, that if there remain ten men in one house, they shall die.
And if there are ten men left in one house, they too will die.
10 And should a man's uncle or relative carry him forth, to bring out the bones out of the house, and say unto him that is in the recesses of the house, Is there yet any one with thee? he will say, There is no one left. Then will he say, Be silent; for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.
And when the relative who is to burn the bodies picks them up to remove them from the house, he will call to one inside, “Is anyone else with you?” “None,” that person will answer. “Silence,” the relative will retort, “for the name of the LORD must not be invoked.”
11 For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
For the LORD gives a command: “The great house will be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble.”
12 Do horses ever run upon the rock? or will one plough there with oxen? that ye have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood;
“Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—
13 Ye who rejoice for a thing of naught, who say, Have we not through our own strength procured ourselves horns?
you who rejoice in Lo-debar and say, ‘Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?’
14 For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts, and they shall oppress you from the entrance of Chamath unto the brook of the wilderness.
For behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD, the God of Hosts, “and they will oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.”