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Second Pronouncement of Punishment

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria,
    who oppress the poor and crush the needy,
    who say to their husbands, “Bring us something to drink!”
The Lord God has sworn by His holiness:
    Indeed the days are coming upon you
when they will take you away with hooks,
    the last one of you with fishhooks.
You will go out through breached walls,
    every one straight ahead of her;
    you will be exiled to Harmon,
    says the Lord.
Come to Bethel and transgress,
    to Gilgal and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning
    and your tithes every three days.
Burn leavened bread as a thank offering;
    announce your voluntary offerings loudly,
for so you love to do, O children of Israel,
    says the Lord God.

Though I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities
    and lack of food in all your places,
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

I also withheld the rain from you,
    when there were still three months to the harvest.
I would send rain on one town,
    and send no rain on another town.
One field would receive rain,
    but another field without rain would wither.
So two or three towns wandered to one town to drink water,
    but they were not satisfied;
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

I struck you with blight and mildew.
    Locusts devoured your many gardens and vineyards,
your fig trees and olive trees;
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

10 Pestilence like that of Egypt
    I sent against you.
By the sword I killed your young men;
    your horses were taken captive.
The stench of your camps I brought up into your nostrils;
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

11 I destroyed some of you,
    as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a firebrand plucked out of the fire;
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

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

13 The One who forms the mountains
    and creates the wind,
    who reveals His thoughts to man,
who turns the darkness into dawn
    and strides on the heights of the earth—
    the Lord, the God of Hosts, is His name.

Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, that oppress the poor, that crush the needy, that say unto their lords, Bring, and let us drink. The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that they shall take you away with hooks, and your residue with fish-hooks. And ye shall go out at the breaches, every one straight before her; [a]and ye shall cast yourselves into Harmon, saith Jehovah.

Come to Beth-el, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes every three days; and [b]offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill-offerings and publish them: for this pleaseth you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah.

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. And I also have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water, and were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees hath the palmer-worm devoured: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. 10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, [c]and have carried away your horses; and I have made the stench of your camp to come up even into your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah. 11 I have overthrown cities among you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a brand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel; and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought; that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth—Jehovah, the God of hosts, is his name.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:3 The text is obscure.
  2. Amos 4:5 Hebrew offer by burning.
  3. Amos 4:10 Hebrew with the captivity of your horses.