< Amos 6 >

1 Wo to you, that ben ful of richessis in Sion, and tristen in the hil of Samarie, ye principal men, the heedis of puplis, that goen proudli in to the hous of Israel.
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and to them that are secure in the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!
2 Go ye in to Calamye, and se ye, and go ye fro thennus in to Emath the greet; and go ye doun in to Geth of Palestyns, and to alle the beste rewmes of hem, if her terme be broddere than youre terme.
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater than your border?
3 And ye ben departid in to yuel dai, and neiyen to the seete of wickidnesse;
Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 and ye slepen in beddis of yuer, and doen letcherie in youre beddis; and ye eten a lomb of the flok, and calues of the myddil of droue;
that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5 and ye syngen at vois of sautree. As Dauid thei gessiden hem for to haue instrumentis of song, and drynken wyn in viols;
that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that devise for themselves instruments of music, like David;
6 and with beste oynement thei weren anoynted; and in no thing thei hadden compassioun on the sorewe, ether defoulyng, of Joseph.
that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Wherfor now thei schulen passe in the heed of men passynge ouer, and the doyng of men doynge letcherie schal be don awei.
Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away.
8 The Lord God swoor in his soule, seith the Lord God of oostis, Y wlate the pride of Jacob, and Y hate the housis of hym, and Y schal bitake the citee with hise dwelleris;
The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD, the God of hosts; I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
9 that if ten men ben left in oon hous, and thei schulen die.
And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
10 And his neiybore schal take hym, and schal brenne hym, that he bere out boonys of the hous. And he schal seie to hym, that is in the priuy places of the hous, Whether ther is yit anentis thee? And he schal answer, An ende is. And he schal seie to hym, Be thou stille, and thenke thou not on the name of the Lord.
And when a man’s uncle shall take him up, even he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is in the innermost parts of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No; then shall he say, Hold thy peace; for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.
11 For lo! the Lord schal comaunde, and schal smyte the grettere hous with fallyngis, and the lesse hous with brekyngis.
For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and the great house shall be smitten with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
12 Whether horsis moun renne in stoonys, ether it mai be eerid with wielde oxun? For ye turneden doom in to bitternesse, and the fruyt of riytfulnesse in to wermod.
Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow [there] with oxen? that ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood:
13 And ye ben glad in nouyt, and ye seien, Whether not in oure strengthe we token to vs hornes?
ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?
14 Lo! Y schal reise on you, the hous of Israel, seith the Lord God of oostis, a folc; and it schal al to-breke you fro entre of Emath `til to the streem of desert.
For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD, the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hamath unto the brook of the Arabah.

< Amos 6 >