< Amos 4 >
1 Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, “Bring us drinks!”
Ye fatte kien, that ben in the hil of Samarie, here this word; whiche maken fals caleng to nedi men, and breken pore men; which seien to youre lordis, Bringe ye, and we schulen drynke.
2 The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness, “Behold, the days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.
The Lord God swoor in his hooli, for lo! daies schulen come on you; and thei schulen reise you in schaftis, and youre remenauntis in buylynge pottis.
3 You will go out at the breaks in the wall, everyone straight before her; and you will cast yourselves into Harmon,” says the LORD.
And ye schulen go out bi the openyngis, oon ayens another, and ye schulen be cast forth in to Armon, seith the Lord.
4 “Go to Bethel, and sin; to Gilgal, and sin more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days,
Come ye to Bethel, and do ye wickidli; to Galgala, and multiplie ye trespassyng; and offre ye eerli youre sacrifices, in thre daies youre tithis.
5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim free will offerings and brag about them; for this pleases you, you children of Israel,” says the Lord GOD.
And sacrifice ye heriyng of breed maad sour, and clepe ye wilful offryngis, and telle ye; for ye, sones of Israel, wolden so, seith the Lord God.
6 “I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says the LORD.
Wherfor and Y yaf to you astonying of teeth in alle youre citees, and nedinesse of looues in alle youre places; and ye turneden not ayen to me, seith the Lord.
7 “I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One field was rained on, and the field where it didn’t rain withered.
Also Y forbeed reyn fro you, whanne thre monethis weren yit `to comyng, til to ripe corn; and Y reynede on o citee, and on another citee Y reynede not; o part was bireyned, and the part driede vp on which Y reynede not.
8 So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water, and were not satisfied; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says the LORD.
And tweyne and thre citees camen to o citee, to drynke watir, and tho weren not fillid; and ye camen not ayen to me, seith the Lord.
9 “I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards, and the swarming locusts have devoured your fig trees and your olive trees; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says the LORD.
Y smoot you with brennynge wynd, and with rust, the multitude of youre orcherdis, and of youre vyneris; and a wort worm eet youre olyue places, and youre fige places; and ye camen not ayen to me, seith the Lord.
10 “I sent plagues amongst you like I did Egypt. I have slain your young men with the sword, and have carried away your horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you haven’t returned to me,” says the LORD.
Y sente in to you deth in the weie of Egipt, Y smoot with swerd youre yonge men, `til to the caitifte of youre horsis, and Y made the stynk of youre oostis to stie in to youre nose thirlis; and ye camen not ayen to me, seith the Lord.
11 “I have overthrown some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning stick plucked out of the fire; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says the LORD.
Y distriede you, as God distriede Sodom and Gomorre, and ye ben maad as a brond rauyschid of brennyng; and ye turneden not ayen to me, seith the Lord.
12 “Therefore I will do this to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel.
Wherfor, thou Israel, Y schal do these thingis to thee; but aftir that Y schal do to thee these thingis, Israel, be maad redi in to ayen comyng of thi God.
13 For, behold, he who forms the mountains, creates the wind, declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth: The LORD, the God of Armies, is his name.”
For lo! he fourmeth hillis, and makith wynd, and tellith to man his speche; and he makith a `morew myist, and goith on hiy thingis of erthe; the Lord God of oostis is the name of hym.