Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor(A) of the land,(B)

saying,

“When will the New Moon(C) be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market(D) wheat?”(E)
skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating(F) with dishonest scales,(G)
buying the poor(H) with silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals,
    selling even the sweepings with the wheat.(I)

The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob:(J) “I will never forget(K) anything they have done.(L)

“Will not the land tremble(M) for this,
    and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
    it will be stirred up and then sink
    like the river of Egypt.(N)

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,

“I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth in broad daylight.(O)
10 I will turn your religious festivals(P) into mourning
    and all your singing into weeping.(Q)
I will make all of you wear sackcloth(R)
    and shave(S) your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son(T)
    and the end of it like a bitter day.(U)

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Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:

10 And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

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Hear this, you who [a]swallow up the needy,
And make the poor of the land fail,

Saying:

“When will the New Moon be past,
That we may sell grain?
And (A)the Sabbath,
That we may [b]trade wheat?
(B)Making the ephah small and the shekel large,
Falsifying the scales by (C)deceit,
That we may buy the poor for (D)silver,
And the needy for a pair of sandals—
Even sell the bad wheat?”

The Lord has sworn by (E)the pride of Jacob:
“Surely (F)I will never forget any of their works.
(G)Shall the land not tremble for this,
And everyone mourn who dwells in it?
All of it shall swell like [c]the River,
Heave and subside
(H)Like the River of Egypt.

“And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord God,
(I)“That I will make the sun go down at noon,
And I will darken the earth in [d]broad daylight;
10 I will turn your feasts into (J)mourning,
(K)And all your songs into lamentation;
(L)I will bring sackcloth on every waist,
And baldness on every head;
I will make it like mourning for an only son,
And its end like a bitter day.

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 8:4 Or trample on, Amos 2:7
  2. Amos 8:5 Lit. open
  3. Amos 8:8 The Nile; some Heb. mss., LXX, Tg., Syr., Vg. River (cf. 9:5); MT the light
  4. Amos 8:9 Lit. a day of light