“Those at Ease in Zion”

(A)Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria,
The (B)distinguished men of the foremost of nations,
To whom the house of Israel comes.
Go over to (C)Calneh and look,
And go from there to (D)Hamath the great,
Then go down to (E)Gath of the Philistines.
Are [a]they better than these kingdoms,
Or is their territory greater than yours?
Do you (F)put off the day of calamity,
And would you (G)bring near the seat of violence?

Those who recline on beds of ivory
And sprawl on their (H)couches,
And (I)eat lambs from the flock
And calves from the midst of the stall,
Who improvise to the sound of the harp,
And like David have [b]composed (J)songs for themselves,
Who (K)drink wine from [c]sacrificial bowls
While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils,
Yet they have not (L)grieved over the ruin of Joseph.
Therefore, they will now (M)go into exile at the head of the exiles,
And the (N)sprawlers’ [d]banqueting will [e]pass away.

The Lord [f]God has (O)sworn by Himself, the Lord God of hosts has declared:
“I (P)loathe the arrogance of Jacob,
And [g]detest his (Q)citadels;
Therefore I will (R)deliver up the city and [h]all it contains.”

And it will be, if (S)ten men are left in one house, they will die. 10 Then one’s [i]uncle, or his [j](T)undertaker, will lift him up to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will [k]answer, “(U)Keep quiet. For [l]the name of the Lord is (V)not to be mentioned.” 11 For behold, the Lord is going to (W)command that the (X)great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments.

12 Do horses run on rocks?
Or does one plow [m]them with oxen?
Yet you have turned (Y)justice into poison
And the fruit of righteousness into [n]wormwood,
13 You who rejoice in [o](Z)Lodebar,
[p]And say, “Have we not (AA)by our own strength taken [q]Karnaim for ourselves?”
14 “For behold, (AB)I am going to raise up a nation against you,
O house of Israel,” declares the Lord God of hosts,
“And they will afflict you from the (AC)entrance of Hamath
To the (AD)brook of the Arabah.”

Footnotes

  1. Amos 6:2 Or you
  2. Amos 6:5 Or invented musical instruments
  3. Amos 6:6 Lit sprinkling basins
  4. Amos 6:7 Or cultic feasts
  5. Amos 6:7 Lit turn aside
  6. Amos 6:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  7. Amos 6:8 Lit hate
  8. Amos 6:8 Lit its fullness
  9. Amos 6:10 Or beloved one
  10. Amos 6:10 Lit one who burns him
  11. Amos 6:10 Lit say
  12. Amos 6:10 Lit not to make mention of the name of
  13. Amos 6:12 Another reading is the sea with oxen
  14. Amos 6:12 I.e. bitterness
  15. Amos 6:13 Lit a thing of nothing
  16. Amos 6:13 Lit Who
  17. Amos 6:13 Lit a pair of horns

Woe to Those at Ease in Zion

(A)Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria,
The (B)distinguished men of the first of the nations,
To whom the house of Israel comes.
Pass on over to (C)Calneh and look,
And go from there to (D)Hamath the great,
Then go down to (E)Gath of the Philistines.
Are [a]they better than these kingdoms,
Or are their borders greater than your borders?
Do you (F)put off the day of calamity,
And would you (G)cause the seat of violence to approach?

Those who lay down on beds of ivory
And sprawl on their (H)couches
And (I)eat lambs from the flock
And calves from the midst of the stall,
Who improvise to the [b]sound of the harp,
And like David have [c]composed (J)songs for themselves,
Who (K)drink wine from [d]sacrificial bowls
While they anoint themselves with the first pick of the oils,
Yet they have not (L)grieved over the destruction of Joseph.
Therefore, they will now (M)go into exile among the first of the exiles,
And the (N)sprawlers’ [e]banqueting will turn aside.

Lord Yahweh has (O)sworn by Himself, Yahweh God of hosts has declared:
“I (P)abhor the lofty pride of Jacob
And hate his (Q)citadels;
Therefore I will (R)deliver up the city as well as its fullness.”

And it will be, if (S)ten men are left in one house, they will die. 10 Then one’s [f]uncle, or the one who [g](T)burns his bones, will lift him up to bring out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will [h]answer, “(U)Keep quiet. For [i]the name of Yahweh is (V)not to be mentioned.” 11 For behold, Yahweh is going to (W)command and will strike the (X)great house to pieces and the small house to fragments.

12 Do horses run on rocks?
Or does one plow [j]them with oxen?
Yet you have overturned (Y)justice into gall
And the fruit of righteousness into [k]wormwood,
13 You who are glad in [l](Z)Lo-debar
[m]And say, “Have we not (AA)by our own strength taken [n]Karnaim for ourselves?”
14 “For behold, (AB)I am going to raise up a nation against you,
O house of Israel,” declares Yahweh God of hosts,
“And they will press down on you from [o](AC)Lebo-hamath
To the (AD)brook of the Arabah.”

Footnotes

  1. Amos 6:2 Or you
  2. Amos 6:5 Lit mouth
  3. Amos 6:5 Or invented musical instruments
  4. Amos 6:6 Lit sprinkling basins
  5. Amos 6:7 Or cultic feasts
  6. Amos 6:10 Or beloved one
  7. Amos 6:10 Lit burns him
  8. Amos 6:10 Lit say
  9. Amos 6:10 Lit not to make mention of the name of
  10. Amos 6:12 Or the sea with oxen
  11. Amos 6:12 Or bitterness
  12. Amos 6:13 Lit a thing of nothing
  13. Amos 6:13 Lit Who
  14. Amos 6:13 Lit a pair of horns
  15. Amos 6:14 Or the entrance of Hamath

“Carefree in Zion”

(A)Woe to those who are carefree in Zion,
And to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,
The (B)dignitaries of the foremost of nations,
To whom the house of Israel comes.
Go over to (C)Calneh and look,
And go from there to (D)Hamath the great,
Then go down to (E)Gath of the Philistines.
Are [a]they better than these kingdoms,
Or is their territory greater than yours?
Are you (F)postponing the day of disaster,
And would you (G)bring near the seat of violence?

Those who lie on beds of ivory,
And lounge around on their (H)couches,
And (I)eat lambs from the flock,
And calves from the midst of the fattened cattle,
Who improvise to the sound of the harp,
And like David have [b]composed (J)songs for themselves,
Who (K)drink wine from sacred bowls
While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils—
Yet they have not (L)grieved over the collapse of Joseph.
Therefore, they will now (M)go into exile at the head of the exiles,
And the revelry of those who (N)lounge around will come to an end.

The Lord [c]God has (O)sworn by Himself, the Lord God of armies has declared:
“I (P)loathe the arrogance of Jacob,
And [d]detest his (Q)citadels;
Therefore I will (R)give up the city and [e]all it contains.”

And it will be, if (S)ten men are left in one house, they will die. 10 Then one’s [f]uncle, or his (T)undertaker, will lift him up to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will [g]answer, “(U)Keep quiet! For [h]the name of the Lord is (V)not to be mentioned.” 11 For behold, the Lord is going to (W)command that the (X)great house be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble.

12 Do horses run on rocks?
Or does one [i]plow them with oxen?
Yet you have turned (Y)justice into poison,
And the fruit of righteousness into [j]wormwood,
13 You who rejoice in [k](Z)Lodebar,
[l]And say, “Have we not (AA)by our own strength taken [m]Karnaim for ourselves?”
14 “For behold, (AB)I am going to raise up a nation against you,
House of Israel,” declares the Lord God of armies,
“And they will torment you from the (AC)entrance of Hamath
To the (AD)brook of the Arabah.”

Footnotes

  1. Amos 6:2 Or you
  2. Amos 6:5 Or invented musical instruments
  3. Amos 6:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  4. Amos 6:8 Lit hate
  5. Amos 6:8 Lit its fullness
  6. Amos 6:10 Or beloved one
  7. Amos 6:10 Lit say
  8. Amos 6:10 Lit not to make mention in the name of
  9. Amos 6:12 Another reading is plow the sea with oxen
  10. Amos 6:12 I.e., bitterness
  11. Amos 6:13 Lit nothing
  12. Amos 6:13 Lit Who say
  13. Amos 6:13 Lit a pair of horns

Woe to the Complacent

Woe to you(A) who are complacent(B) in Zion,
    and to you who feel secure(C) on Mount Samaria,(D)
you notable men of the foremost nation,
    to whom the people of Israel come!(E)
Go to Kalneh(F) and look at it;
    go from there to great Hamath,(G)
    and then go down to Gath(H) in Philistia.
Are they better off than(I) your two kingdoms?
    Is their land larger than yours?
You put off the day of disaster
    and bring near a reign of terror.(J)
You lie on beds adorned with ivory
    and lounge on your couches.(K)
You dine on choice lambs
    and fattened calves.(L)
You strum away on your harps(M) like David
    and improvise on musical instruments.(N)
You drink wine(O) by the bowlful
    and use the finest lotions,
    but you do not grieve(P) over the ruin of Joseph.(Q)
Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;(R)
    your feasting and lounging will end.(S)

The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel

The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself(T)—the Lord God Almighty declares:

“I abhor(U) the pride of Jacob(V)
    and detest his fortresses;(W)
I will deliver up(X) the city
    and everything in it.(Y)

If ten(Z) people are left in one house, they too will die. 10 And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them[a](AA) asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush!(AB) We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

11 For the Lord has given the command,
    and he will smash(AC) the great house(AD) into pieces
    and the small house into bits.(AE)

12 Do horses run on the rocky crags?
    Does one plow the sea[b] with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison(AF)
    and the fruit of righteousness(AG) into bitterness(AH)
13 you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar[c]
    and say, “Did we not take Karnaim[d] by our own strength?(AI)

14 For the Lord God Almighty declares,
    “I will stir up a nation(AJ) against you, Israel,
that will oppress you all the way
    from Lebo Hamath(AK) to the valley of the Arabah.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 6:10 Or to make a funeral fire in honor of the dead
  2. Amos 6:12 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text plow there
  3. Amos 6:13 Lo Debar means nothing.
  4. Amos 6:13 Karnaim means horns; horn here symbolizes strength.