住在撒玛利亚山上的巴珊肥母牛啊,
你们要听!
你们压榨贫寒人,欺凌穷苦人,
又使唤丈夫倒酒畅饮。
因此,主耶和华凭祂的圣洁起誓:
“时候快到了,
有人要用鱼钩钩走你们,一个也不留。
你们都要从城墙缺口走出来,
被丢到哈门。
这是耶和华说的。

“以色列人啊,
你们去伯特利犯罪吧,
去吉甲增添罪恶吧!
要每天早晨献上祭物,
每三天奉上你们的十分之一。
你们献上带酵的饼作感恩祭,
并且到处夸耀你们自愿献的祭。
以色列人啊,这就是你们爱做的事。
这是主耶和华说的。

“我在各城降下饥荒,
使你们遍地缺粮。
尽管如此,你们仍不归向我。
这是耶和华说的。

“我在收割前三个月停止降雨。
我在一座城降雨,
在另一座城不降雨;
我使一块田有雨水的滋润,
另一块田因无雨而干裂。
两三座城的人都踉踉跄跄地涌到一座城找水喝,
水却不够喝。
尽管如此,你们仍不归向我。
这是耶和华说的。

“我用热风和霉灾击打你们,
叫蝗虫吞噬你们田园中的菜蔬、葡萄树、无花果树和橄榄树。
尽管如此,你们仍不归向我。
这是耶和华说的。

10 “我在你们中间降下瘟疫,
如从前降在埃及一样。
我杀戮你们的青年,
掳掠你们的战马,
使你们军营中的死尸臭味扑鼻。
尽管如此,你们仍不归向我。
这是耶和华说的。

11 “我在你们中间施行毁灭,
如从前毁灭所多玛和蛾摩拉一样,
使你们像从火里抽出的一根柴。
尽管如此,你们仍不归向我。
这是耶和华说的。

12 “以色列人啊,
我要这样惩罚你们。
以色列人啊,
准备迎见你们的上帝吧!
因为我要这样惩罚你们。”

13 看啊,那位造山又造风,
向人显明祂的心意,
将黎明变为黑暗,
将群山踩在脚下的——
祂的名字是万军之上帝耶和华。

Israel Has Not Returned to God

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan(A) on Mount Samaria,(B)
    you women who oppress the poor(C) and crush the needy(D)
    and say to your husbands,(E) “Bring us some drinks!(F)
The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
    “The time(G) will surely come
when you will be taken away(H) with hooks,(I)
    the last of you with fishhooks.[a]
You will each go straight out
    through breaches in the wall,(J)
    and you will be cast out toward Harmon,[b]
declares the Lord.
“Go to Bethel(K) and sin;
    go to Gilgal(L) and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,(M)
    your tithes(N) every three years.[c](O)
Burn leavened bread(P) as a thank offering
    and brag about your freewill offerings(Q)
boast about them, you Israelites,
    for this is what you love to do,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.

“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.(R)

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

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

10 “I sent plagues(AC) among you
    as I did to Egypt.(AD)
I killed your young men(AE) with the sword,
    along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench(AF) of your camps,
    yet you have not returned to me,”(AG)
declares the Lord.(AH)

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

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,(AL)
    who creates the wind,(AM)
    and who reveals his thoughts(AN) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth(AO)
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:2 Or away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets
  2. Amos 4:3 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) out, you mountain of oppression
  3. Amos 4:4 Or days