Amos 4

1 Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, you who are in the mountain of Samaria, you who oppress the poor, you who crush the needy, you who say to your husbands, “Bring us drinks.”

Hear these words, O ye kine of Bashan, That are on the mountain of Samaria; That oppress the poor; that crush the needy; That say to your master, Bring, and let us drink!

2 The Lord Yahweh has sworn by his holiness, “Look, the days will come on you when they will take you away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks.

The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness; Behold, the days shall come upon you When ye shall be taken away with hooks, And your residue with fishing-hooks.

3 You will go out through the breaks in the city wall, each one of you going straight through it, and you will be thrown out toward Harmon —this is Yahweh's declaration.”

And ye shall go out at the breaches, every one right forward, And ye shall be thrown into a castle, saith Jehovah.

4 “Go to Bethel and sin, to Gilgal and multiply sin, bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days.

Go, now, to Bethel, and transgress; At Gilgal multiply transgression! Bring your sacrifices every morning, And your tithes every three years!

5 Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice with bread; proclaim freewill offerings; announce them, for this pleases you, you people of Israel —this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh.

Burn a thank-offering from your extortions, And proclaim the free-will offerings; publish them abroad! For this is your delight, ye sons of Israel, Saith the Lord, Jehovah.

6 I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your places. Yet you have not returned to me —this is Yahweh's declaration.

I also have caused cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And want of bread in all your places; And yet ye have not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

7 I also withheld rain from you when there were still three months to the harvest. I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One piece of land was rained on, but the piece of land where it did not rain dried up.

I also have withholden from you the rain three months before the harvest; I have caused it to rain upon one city, And upon another city have I not caused it to rain; One piece of ground hath been rained upon, And another, upon which I have not caused it to rain, hath withered.

8 Two or three cities staggered to another city to drink water, but were not satisfied. Yet you have not returned to me —this is Yahweh's declaration.

Two or three cities have gone to one city, To drink water, and have not been satisfied; And yet ye have not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

9 I afflicted you with blight and mildew. The multitude of your gardens, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees— the locusts devoured them all. Yet you have not returned to me —this is Yahweh's declaration.

I have smitten you with blasting and mildew; The locust hath devoured your many gardens, Your vineyards, your fig-trees, and your olive-trees; Yet have ye not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

10 I sent a plague on you as on Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, carried away your horses, and made the stench of your camp come up to your nostrils. Yet you have not returned to me —this is Yahweh's declaration.

I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I have slain your young men with the sword, And your horses have I led into captivity; I have made the smell of your camps to come up into your nostrils; And yet ye have not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

11 I overthrew cities among you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched out of the fire. Yet you have not returned to me —this is Yahweh's declaration.

I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah; And ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning; And yet ye have not returned to me, saith Jehovah.

12 Therefore I will do something terrible to you, Israel; and because I will do something terrible to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel!

Therefore thus will I deal with thee, O Israel! Yet since I will thus deal with thee, Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel!

13 For, look, he who forms the mountains also creates the wind, reveals his thoughts to mankind, makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth. Yahweh, God of hosts, is his name.”

For behold, he formed the mountains, and created the wind; He declareth to man what is his thought; He maketh the morning darkness, And walketh upon the high places of the earth; Jehovah, God of hosts, is his name.