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“I brought hunger to every city
    and famine to every town.
But still you would not return to me,”
    says the Lord.

“I kept the rain from falling
    when your crops needed it the most.
I sent rain on one town
    but withheld it from another.
Rain fell on one field,
    while another field withered away.
People staggered from town to town looking for water,
    but there was never enough.
But still you would not return to me,”
    says the Lord.

“I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew.
    Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees.
But still you would not return to me,”
    says the Lord.

10 “I sent plagues on you
    like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago.
I killed your young men in war
    and led all your horses away.[a]
    The stench of death filled the air!
But still you would not return to me,”
    says the Lord.

11 “I destroyed some of your cities,
    as I destroyed[b] Sodom and Gomorrah.
Those of you who survived
    were like charred sticks pulled from a fire.
But still you would not return to me,”
    says the Lord.

12 “Therefore, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced.
    Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!”

13 For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains,
    stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind.
He turns the light of dawn into darkness
    and treads on the heights of the earth.
    The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies is his name!

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Footnotes

  1. 4:10 Or and slaughtered your captured horses.
  2. 4:11 Hebrew as when God destroyed.

Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord

“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
    and (A)lack of bread in all your places,
(B)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.

“I also (C)withheld the rain from you
    when there were yet three months to the harvest;
(D)I would send rain on one city,
    and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
    and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
so two or three cities (E)would wander to another city
    to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
(F)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.

(G)“I struck you with blight and mildew;
    your many gardens and your vineyards,
    your fig trees and your olive trees (H)the locust devoured;
(I)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.

10 “I sent among you a pestilence (J)after the manner of Egypt;
    I killed your young men with the sword,
and (K)carried away your horses,[a]
    and (L)I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
(M)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.

11 “I overthrew some of you,
    (N)as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
    and you were (O)as a brand[b] plucked out of the burning;
(P)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.

12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
    because I will do this to you,
    prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”

13 For behold, (Q)he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
    and (R)declares to man what is his thought,
(S)who makes the morning darkness,
    and (T)treads on the heights of the earth—
    (U)the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:10 Hebrew along with the captivity of your horses
  2. Amos 4:11 That is, a burning stick

“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.(A)

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

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

10 “I sent plagues(L) among you
    as I did to Egypt.(M)
I killed your young men(N) with the sword,
    along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench(O) of your camps,
    yet you have not returned to me,”(P)
declares the Lord.(Q)

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

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,(U)
    who creates the wind,(V)
    and who reveals his thoughts(W) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth(X)
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.(Y)

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