住在撒瑪利亞山上的巴珊肥母牛啊,
你們要聽!
你們壓榨貧寒人,欺凌窮苦人,
又使喚丈夫倒酒暢飲。
因此,主耶和華憑祂的聖潔起誓:
「時候快到了,
有人要用魚鉤鉤走你們,一個也不留。
你們都要從城牆缺口走出來,
被丟到哈門。
這是耶和華說的。

「以色列人啊,
你們去伯特利犯罪吧,
去吉甲增添罪惡吧!
要每天早晨獻上祭物,
每三天奉上你們的十分之一。
你們獻上帶酵的餅作感恩祭,
並且到處誇耀你們自願獻的祭。
以色列人啊,這就是你們愛做的事。
這是主耶和華說的。

「我在各城降下饑荒,
使你們遍地缺糧。
儘管如此,你們仍不歸向我。
這是耶和華說的。

「我在收割前三個月停止降雨。
我在一座城降雨,
在另一座城不降雨;
我使一塊田有雨水的滋潤,
另一塊田因無雨而乾裂。
兩三座城的人都踉踉蹌蹌地湧到一座城找水喝,
水卻不夠喝。
儘管如此,你們仍不歸向我。
這是耶和華說的。

「我用熱風和黴災擊打你們,
叫蝗蟲吞噬你們田園中的菜蔬、葡萄樹、無花果樹和橄欖樹。
儘管如此,你們仍不歸向我。
這是耶和華說的。

10 「我在你們中間降下瘟疫,
如從前降在埃及一樣。
我殺戮你們的青年,
擄掠你們的戰馬,
使你們軍營中的死屍臭味撲鼻。
儘管如此,你們仍不歸向我。
這是耶和華說的。

11 「我在你們中間施行毀滅,
如從前毀滅所多瑪和蛾摩拉一樣,
使你們像從火裡抽出的一根柴。
儘管如此,你們仍不歸向我。
這是耶和華說的。

12 「以色列人啊,
我要這樣懲罰你們。
以色列人啊,
準備迎見你們的上帝吧!
因為我要這樣懲罰你們。」

13 看啊,那位造山又造風,
向人顯明祂的心意,
將黎明變為黑暗,
將群山踩在腳下的——
祂的名字是萬軍之上帝耶和華。

“Yet You Have Not Returned to Me”

Hear this word, you [a]cows of (A)Bashan who are on the (B)mountain of Samaria,
Who (C)exploit the poor, who oppress the needy,
[b]And say to their [c]husbands, “Bring now, that we may (D)drink!”
The Lord [d]God has (E)sworn by His (F)holiness,
“For behold, the days are coming upon you
When [e]they will take you away with (G)meat hooks,
And the last of you with (H)fish hooks.
You will (I)go out through holes in the walls,
One in front of the other,
And you [f]will be hurled to Harmon,” declares the Lord.

“Enter Bethel and do wrong;
In Gilgal multiply wrongdoing!
(J)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.
[g]Offer a (K)thanksgiving offering also from that which is leavened,
And proclaim (L)[h]voluntary offerings, make them known.
For so you (M)love to do, you sons of Israel,”
Declares the Lord God.

“But I gave you also (N)cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
And lack of bread in all your places;
Yet you have (O)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
“Furthermore, I (P)withheld the rain from you
While there were still three months until harvest.
Then I would send rain on one city,
But on (Q)another city I would not send rain;
One part would be rained on,
While the part not rained on would dry up.
So the people of two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink (R)water,
But would (S)not be satisfied;
Yet you have (T)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
“I (U)struck you with scorching wind and mildew;
The (V)caterpillar was devouring
Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees;
Yet you have (W)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
10 “I sent a (X)plague among you [i]as in Egypt;
I (Y)killed your young men with the sword, along with your (Z)captured horses,
And I made the (AA)stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils;
Yet you have (AB)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
11 “I overthrew you, as (AC)God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a (AD)log snatched from a fire;
Yet you have (AE)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore so I will do to you, Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to (AF)meet your God, Israel.”
13 For behold, He who (AG)forms mountains and (AH)creates the wind,
And (AI)declares to a person what are His thoughts,
He who (AJ)makes dawn into darkness
And (AK)treads on the high places of the earth,
(AL)The Lord God of armies is His name.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:1 I.e., haughty, prominent women
  2. Amos 4:1 Lit Who
  3. Amos 4:1 Lit lords
  4. Amos 4:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  5. Amos 4:2 Lit he
  6. Amos 4:3 As in LXX; MT will hurl
  7. Amos 4:5 Lit Offer up in smoke
  8. Amos 4:5 Or freewill offerings
  9. Amos 4:10 Lit in the way of Egypt

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

God’s Punishments Have Not Reformed Israel

Hear this word, you (A)cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria,
Who oppress the (B)poor,
Who crush the needy,
Who say to [a]your husbands, “Bring wine, let us (C)drink!”
(D)The Lord God has sworn by His holiness:
“Behold, the days shall come upon you
When He will take you away (E)with fishhooks,
And your posterity with fishhooks.
(F)You will go out through broken walls,
Each one straight ahead of her,
And you will [b]be cast into Harmon,”
Says the Lord.

“Come(G) to Bethel and transgress,
At (H)Gilgal multiply transgression;
(I)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
(J)Your tithes every three [c]days.
(K)Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven,
Proclaim and announce (L)the freewill offerings;
For this you love,
You children of Israel!”
Says the Lord God.

Israel Did Not Accept Correction

“Also I gave you [d]cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
And lack of bread in all your places;
(M)Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.

“I also withheld rain from you,
When there were still three months to the harvest.
I made it rain on one city,
I withheld rain from another city.
One part was rained upon,
And where it did not rain the part withered.
So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water,
But they were not satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.

“I(N) blasted you with blight and mildew.
When your gardens increased,
Your vineyards,
Your fig trees,
And your olive trees,
(O)The locust devoured them;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.

10 “I sent among you a plague (P)after the manner of Egypt;
Your young men I killed with a sword,
Along with your captive horses;
I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.

11 “I overthrew some of you,
As God overthrew (Q)Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.

12 “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
(R)Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”

13 For behold,
He who forms mountains,
And creates the [e]wind,
(S)Who declares to man what [f]his thought is,
And makes the morning darkness,
(T)Who treads the high places of the earth—
(U)The Lord God of hosts is His name.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:1 Lit. their masters or lords
  2. Amos 4:3 Or cast them
  3. Amos 4:4 Or years, Deut. 14:28
  4. Amos 4:6 Hunger
  5. Amos 4:13 Or spirit
  6. Amos 4:13 Or His