< 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 ye this word, ye heifers of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, —who say to their lords, Bring in, 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.
Sworn hath My Lord, Yahweh, by his own holiness, That lo! days, are coming upon you, —when he will take you away with hooks, and your followers with fishhooks;
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, through fissures, shall ye go out, every woman, straight before her, —and ye shall be thrust forth towards the castle, Declareth Yahweh.
4 “Go to Bethel and sin, to Gilgal and multiply sin, bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days.
Enter ye Bethel, and transgress, At Gilgal, cause transgression, to abound, —Yea, carry in, every morning, your sacrifices, every three days, your tithes;
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.
Yea, burn thou incense, of that which is leavened, as a thank-offering, and proclaim ye freewill-offerings, let them be known, —for, so, ye love [to have it], ye sons of Israel, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh.
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.
Moreover also, I, have given you cleanness of teeth throughout all your cities, and want of bread throughout all your dwelling-places, —Yet have ye not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh.
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.
Moreover also, I, have withholden from you the abundant rain, when yet there were only three mouths to the harvest, Or I might rain upon one city, and, on another city, might not rain, —One portion, would be rained upon, and, the portion whereupon it should not rain, would be dried up;
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.
Then would two or three cities totter to one city to drink water, without being satisfied, —Yet have ye not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh.
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 blight and with mildew, When your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees have increased, the creeping locust would devour them, —Yet have ye not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh.
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 pestilence, in the manner of Egypt, I have slain, with the sword, your young men, and therewith have been taken captive your horses, And I have caused to ascend—the stench of your camps, even into your own nostrils, Yet ye have not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh.
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 made an overthrew among you, like the divine overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye have become like a brand snatched out of the burning, —Yet hate ye not returned unto me, Declareth Yahweh.
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 do unto thee, O Israel, —Because this thing I will do unto 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 lo! He that fashioned the mountains, and created the wind, and who telleth the son of earth what is his thought, who turneth dawn into darkness, and marcheth upon the high places of the earth, Yahweh, God of hosts, is his name!