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!”
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 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.
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 at the breaks in the wall, everyone straight before her; and you will cast yourselves into Harmon,” says the LORD.
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 sin more. 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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 this to you, Israel; because I will do this 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, 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 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!
