Amos 4
Legacy Standard Bible
Yet You Have Not Returned to Me
4 Hear this word, you cows of (A)Bashan who are on the (B)mountain of Samaria,
Who (C)oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
Who say to their [a]husbands, “Bring now, that we may (D)drink!”
2 Lord Yahweh has (E)sworn by His (F)holiness that,
“Behold, the days are coming upon you,
And [b]they will take you away with (G)meat hooks,
And the last of you with (H)fish hooks.
3 And you will (I)go out through breaches in the walls,
Each one straight before her,
And you [c]will be cast to Harmon,” declares Yahweh.
4 “Enter Bethel and transgress;
In Gilgal multiply transgression!
(J)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.
5 [d]And offer a (K)thank offering also from that which is leavened,
And call for (L)freewill offerings; cause them to be heard about.
For so you (M)love to do, you sons of Israel,”
Declares Lord Yahweh.
6 “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 Yahweh.
7 “And I also (P)withheld the rain from you
While there were still three months until harvest.
Then I would send rain on one city,
And on (Q)another city I would not send rain;
One portion would be rained on,
While the portion not rained on would dry up.
8 So two or three cities would wander around to another city to drink (R)water,
But would (S)not be satisfied;
Yet you have (T)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
9 “I (U)struck you with scorching wind and mildew;
And the (V)gnawing locust was devouring
Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees;
Yet you have (W)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
10 “I sent a (X)pestilence among you after the manner of Egypt;
I (Y)killed your choice men by the sword along with your (Z)captured horses,
And I made the (AA)stench of your camp rise up even in your nostrils;
Yet you have (AB)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
11 “I overthrew you as (AC)God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a (AD)firebrand [e]delivered from a blaze;
Yet you have (AE)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to (AF)meet your God, O Israel.”
13 For behold, He who (AG)forms mountains and (AH)creates the wind
And (AI)declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who (AJ)makes dawn into gloom
And (AK)treads on the high places of the earth,
(AL)Yahweh God of hosts is His name.
Amos 4
Common English Bible
Judgment on Israel’s elite
4 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
who are on Mount Samaria,
who cheat the weak,
who crush the needy,
who say to their husbands, “Bring drinks, so we can get drunk!”
2 The Lord God has solemnly promised by his holiness:
The days are surely coming upon you,
when they will take you away with hooks,
even the last one of you with fishhooks.
3 You will go out through the broken wall,
each one after another;
and you will be flung out into Harmon,
says the Lord.
A divine taunt
4 Come to Bethel—and commit a crime;
multiply crimes at Gilgal.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tenth-part gifts every three days.
5 Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice of leavened bread,
and publicize your gifts to the Lord;
for so you love to do, people of Israel!
says the Lord God.
Israel’s stubbornness
6 I have sent a famine in all your cities,
and not provided enough bread in all your places,
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
7 I also withheld rain from you
when there were still three months to the harvest.
I allowed rain to fall on one city,
no rain to fall on another city.
One field was rained on,
and the field dried up where it didn’t rain.
8 So two or three thirsty towns went to one city to drink water, and weren’t satisfied;
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
9 I struck you with disease and mildew.
I destroyed your gardens and your vineyards.
The locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
10 I sent a plague against you like the one in Egypt.
I killed your young men with the sword.
I carried away your horses.
I made the stink of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
11 I destroyed some of you,
as when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning coal plucked out of the fire;
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
12 Truly, Israel,
I will act in this way toward you;
therefore, I will do this to you.
Prepare to meet your God, Israel!
13 The one who forms the mountains, creates the wind,
makes known his thoughts to humankind,
makes the morning darkness,
and moves over the heights of the earth—
the Lord, the God of heavenly forces is his name!
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