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Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord

Listen to the Lord’s message,
    you women who live on the hill of Samaria.
You treat poor people badly.
    You crush those who are in need.
You say to your husbands,
    “Bring us some drinks!”
But you are already as fat
    as the cows in Bashan.
The Lord and King has made a promise
    by his own holy name.
He says, “You can be sure
    that the time will come
when your enemies will put hooks in your faces.
    They will lead every one of you away with fishhooks.
Each of you will go straight out
    through gaps made in the wall.
You will be thrown out toward Harmon,”
    announces the Lord.
“People of Samaria, go to Bethel and sin!
    Go to Gilgal! Sin there even more!
Bring your sacrifices every morning.
    Every third year, bring a tenth
    of everything you produce.
Bake some bread with yeast.
    Burn it as a thank offering.
Brag about the offerings you freely give.
    This is what you Israelites love to do,”
    announces the Lord and King.

“I made sure your stomachs were empty in every city.
    You did not have enough bread in any of your towns.
In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
    announces the Lord.

“I also held back rain from you.
    The time to harvest crops
    was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town.
    But I held it back from another.
One field had rain.
    But another had no rain and dried up.
People wandered from town to town to look for water.
    But they did not get enough to drink.
In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
    announces the Lord.

“Many times I kept your gardens and vineyards from growing.
    I sent hot winds to dry them up completely.
Locusts ate up your fig and olive trees.
    In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
    announces the Lord.

10 “I sent plagues on you,
    just as I did on Egypt.
I killed your young men by swords.
    I also let the horses you had captured be killed.
I filled your noses with the stink of your camps.
    In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
    announces the Lord.

11 “I destroyed some of you,
    just as I did Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning stick that was pulled out of the fire.
    In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,”
    announces the Lord.

12 “So, people of Israel, I will judge you.
    Because I will do that to you, Israel,
    prepare to meet your God!”

13 The Lord forms the mountains.
    He creates the wind.
    He makes his thoughts known to human beings.
He turns sunrise into darkness.
    He rules over even the highest places on earth.
    His name is the Lord God Who Rules Over All.

Israel Has Not Returned to God

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan(A) on Mount Samaria,(B)
    you women who oppress the poor(C) and crush the needy(D)
    and say to your husbands,(E) “Bring us some drinks!(F)
The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
    “The time(G) will surely come
when you will be taken away(H) with hooks,(I)
    the last of you with fishhooks.[a]
You will each go straight out
    through breaches in the wall,(J)
    and you will be cast out toward Harmon,[b]
declares the Lord.
“Go to Bethel(K) and sin;
    go to Gilgal(L) and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,(M)
    your tithes(N) every three years.[c](O)
Burn leavened bread(P) as a thank offering
    and brag about your freewill offerings(Q)
boast about them, you Israelites,
    for this is what you love to do,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.

“I gave you empty stomachs in every city
    and lack of bread in every town,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(R)

“I also withheld(S) rain from you
    when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
    but withheld it from another.(T)
One field had rain;
    another had none and dried up.
People staggered from town to town for water(U)
    but did not get enough(V) to drink,
    yet you have not returned(W) to me,”
declares the Lord.(X)

“Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
    destroying them with blight and mildew.(Y)
Locusts(Z) devoured your fig and olive trees,(AA)
    yet you have not returned(AB) to me,”
declares the Lord.

10 “I sent plagues(AC) among you
    as I did to Egypt.(AD)
I killed your young men(AE) with the sword,
    along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench(AF) of your camps,
    yet you have not returned to me,”(AG)
declares the Lord.(AH)

11 “I overthrew some of you
    as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.(AI)
You were like a burning stick(AJ) snatched from the fire,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(AK)

12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
    and because I will do this to you, Israel,
    prepare to meet your God.”

13 He who forms the mountains,(AL)
    who creates the wind,(AM)
    and who reveals his thoughts(AN) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth(AO)
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:2 Or away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets
  2. Amos 4:3 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) out, you mountain of oppression
  3. Amos 4:4 Or days