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How Terrible for Those Who Feel Secure When They Shouldn’t

How terrible it will be for you men
    who are so contented on Mount Zion!
How terrible for you who feel secure
    on the hill of Samaria!
You are famous men from the greatest nation.
    The people of Israel come to you
    for help and advice.
Go and look at the city of Kalneh.
    Go from there to the great city of Hamath.
    Then go down to Gath in Philistia.
Are those places better off than your two kingdoms?
    Is their land larger than yours?
You are trying to avoid the time
    when trouble will come.
But you are only bringing closer
    the Assyrian rule of terror.
You lie down on beds
    that are decorated with ivory.
    You rest on your couches.
You eat the best lambs
    and the fattest calves.
You pluck away on your harps as David did.
    You play new songs on musical instruments.
You drink wine by the bowlful.
    You use the finest lotions.
But Joseph’s people will soon be destroyed.
    And you aren’t even sad about it.
So you will be among the first
    to be taken away as prisoners.
You won’t be able to enjoy good food.
    You won’t lie around on couches anymore.

The Lord Hates the Pride of Israel

The Lord and King has made a promise in his own name. He is the Lord God who rules over all. He announces,

“I hate the pride of Jacob’s people.
    I can’t stand their forts.
I will hand the city of Samaria
    and everything in it over to their enemies.”

Ten people might be left in one house. If they are, they will die there. 10 Relatives might come to burn the dead bodies. If they do, they’ll have to carry them out of the house first. They might ask someone still hiding there, “Is anyone else here with you?” If the answer is no, the relatives will go on to say, “Be quiet! We must not pray in the Lord’s name.”

11 That’s because the Lord has already given an order.
    He will smash large houses to pieces.
    He will crush small houses to bits.

12 Horses don’t run on rocky ground.
    People don’t plow the sea with oxen.
But you have turned fair treatment into poison.
    You have turned the fruit of right living into bitterness.
13 You are happy because you captured the town of Lo Debar.
    You say, “We were strong enough to take Karnaim too.”

14 But the Lord God rules over all. He announces, “People of Israel,
    I will stir up a nation against you.
They will crush you from Lebo Hamath
    all the way down to the Arabah Valley.”

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.