Amos 6

1 Alas for the careless in Zion, and for them who put confidence in the mountain of Samaria, —the distinguished among the first group of nations, to whom came in 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 Calneh, and see, and go on from thence to Hamath the great, —and go down to Gath of the Philistines, are they better than these kingdoms? or their boundary larger than your boundary?

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 Ye who are putting far away the day of calamity, —but bringing near the abode of violence:

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

4 Who are lying on beds of ivory, and sprawling on their couch of pleasure, —and eating the well-fed of the flock, and the fatted 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 middle of the stall,

5 Who are bawling at the bidding of the harp, —like David, have they invented for themselves instruments of song:

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

6 Who are quaffing bowls of wine, and, with the best of oils, anointing themselves, —and are not afflicted for the injury 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, at once, shall they go into exile among the first of the exiles, —so shall be disturbed the revelry of sprawlers.

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

8 Sworn hath the Lord, Yahweh, by his own life, Declareth Yahweh, God of hosts, abhorring am I, the grandeur of Jacob, and, his palaces, I hate, —therefore will I cast off the city and the fulness 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 it shall come to pass, though there be left remaining ten men in one house, yet shall they die;

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

10 And a man’s near of kin, even he who is about to burn the bones, shall carry him out of the house, when he shall say to him that is in the hinder parts of the house—Are there yet any with thee? and he shall say—No one. Then shall he say—Hush! for we must not invoke the name of Yahweh.

“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 lo! Yahweh, is giving command, and will smite the great house into ruins, —and the little house with clefts.

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

12 Shall horses run upon crag? or will a man plough [there] with oxen? For ye have turned to poison the sentence of justice, and the fruit of righteousness, to wormwood:

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 Who rejoice in a thing of nought, —who say, Have we not by our own strength, taken to ourselves horns?

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

14 For behold me! raising up against you, O house of Israel, Declareth Yahweh, the God of hosts—a nation! And they shall crush you, from the entering in of Hamath, unto the torrent-bed of the waste plain.

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.”