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“Go to Bethel, and sin;
    to Gilgal, and sin more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
    your tithes every three days,
    offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,
    and proclaim free will offerings and brag about them:
    for this pleases you, you children of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.
“I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
    and lack of bread in every town;
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
“I also have withheld the rain from you,
    when there were yet three months to the harvest;
    and I caused it to rain on one city,
    and caused it not to rain on another city.
One field was rained on,
    and the field where it didn’t rain withered.
So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water,
    and were not satisfied:
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
“I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards;
    and the swarming locusts have devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
10 “I sent plagues among you like I did Egypt.
    I have slain your young men with the sword,
    and have carried away your horses;
    and I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp,
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
11 “I have overthrown some of you,
    as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
    and you were like a burning stick plucked out of the fire;
    yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, Israel;
    because I will do this to you,
    prepare to meet your God, Israel.
13 For, behold, he who forms the mountains,
    and creates the wind,
    and declares to man what is his thought;
    who makes the morning darkness,
    and treads on the high places of the earth:
    Yahweh, the God of Armies, is his name.”

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The Lord’s Rebuke to Israel

“Come to Bethel and sin,
    to Gilgal and sin even more!
Bring along your morning sacrifices,
    and pay your tithes every other day.[a]
While you’re at it,[b] present a thank offering with leaven,
    and publicize your freewill offerings,
letting everyone hear about it,
    because this is what you really love to do, you Israelis,”
        declares the Lord God.

Israel’s Refusal to Return to God

“I also have scheduled[c] food shortages[d] for you in all of your cities,
    and lack of bread in all of your settlements,
but you haven’t returned to me,”
    declares the Lord.

“I therefore have withheld the rain from you
    three months before the harvest,
causing rain to come upon one city,
    but not upon another,
and upon one field
    but not upon another,
        so that it would wither.
So the people of[e] two or three cities staggered away to another[f] city
    in order to obtain drinking water,
but you have not returned to me,”
    declares the Lord.

“I afflicted you with blight and fungus;
    and the locust swarm devoured the harvest
        of your gardens, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees,
    but you have not returned to me,”
        declares the Lord.

10 “I sent plagues among you as I did with Egypt.
    I killed your choicest young men with the sword.
I took your horses away from you.
    I filled your noses with the stench of your encampments,
but you have not returned to me,”
    declares the Lord.

11 “I overthrew your cities,[g]
    as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
You’ve become like a burning ember, snatched from the fire,
    but you have not returned to me,”
        declares the Lord.

12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel.
    Because I am about to do this,
        prepare to be summoned to your God, Israel!”

13 Look! The one who crafts mountains,
    who creates the wind,
who reveals what he is thinking to mankind,
    who darkens the morning light,
who tramples down the high places of the land—
    the Lord, the God of the Heavenly Armies is his name.

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:4 Lit. tithes for the three days
  2. Amos 4:5 Lit. And
  3. Amos 4:6 Lit. appointed
  4. Amos 4:6 Lit. appointed clean teeth
  5. Amos 4:8 The Heb. lacks the people of
  6. Amos 4:8 Lit. to a single
  7. Amos 4:11 The Heb. lacks cities