Amos 6:8-14
Amplified Bible
8
The Lord [a]God has sworn [an oath] by Himself—the Lord God of hosts, says:
“I loathe and reject the [self-centered] arrogance of Jacob (Israel),
And I hate his palaces and citadels;
Therefore, I shall hand over the [idolatrous] city [of Samaria] with all that it contains [to the Assyrian invaders].”
9 And it shall come to pass that if there remain ten men in one house, they shall die [by the pestilence that comes with war]. 10 Then one’s uncle, or his undertaker, shall come to bring the [disease-infected] body out of the house, [to cremate it], and he will say to another in the farthest part of the house, “Is there anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will respond, “Hush! Keep quiet! For the name of the Lord is not to be mentioned [even casually, for fear that we might invoke even more punishment].”(A) 11 For behold, the Lord is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments.
12
Do horses run on rocks?
Do men plow rocks with oxen? [Of course not!]
Yet you have turned justice into poison
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (bitterness),
13
You who [self-confidently] rejoice in [b]Lo-debar (Nothing),
Who say, “Have we not by our own strength taken [c]Karnaim (Strength) for ourselves?”
14
“For behold, I am going to stir up a nation against you,
O house of Israel,” says the Lord, the God of hosts,
“And they will afflict and torment you [to the entire limits of Israel] from the entrance of Hamath [in the north]
To the brook of the Arabah [in the south].”
Footnotes
- Amos 6:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord.
- Amos 6:13 Lit a thing of nothing. Lo-debar and Karnaim apparently were Aramean sites that had been captured by Israel. Amos uses the meanings of these names in a play on words to rebuke Israel.
- Amos 6:13 Lit a pair of horns. The horns of animals were regarded as symbols of power. Amos condemns Israel for claiming that their victories were achieved without God’s help.
Amos 6:8-14
New American Standard Bible
8 The Lord [a]God has (A)sworn by Himself, the Lord God of armies has declared:
“I (B)loathe the arrogance of Jacob,
And [b]detest his (C)citadels;
Therefore I will (D)give up the city and [c]all it contains.”
9 And it will be, if (E)ten men are left in one house, they will die. 10 Then one’s [d]uncle, or his (F)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 [e]answer, “(G)Keep quiet! For [f]the name of the Lord is (H)not to be mentioned.” 11 For behold, the Lord is going to (I)command that the (J)great house be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble.
12 Do horses run on rocks?
Or does one [g]plow them with oxen?
Yet you have turned (K)justice into poison,
And the fruit of righteousness into [h]wormwood,
13 You who rejoice in [i](L)Lodebar,
[j]And say, “Have we not (M)by our own strength taken [k]Karnaim for ourselves?”
14 “For behold, (N)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 (O)entrance of Hamath
To the (P)brook of the Arabah.”
Footnotes
- Amos 6:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Amos 6:8 Lit hate
- Amos 6:8 Lit its fullness
- Amos 6:10 Or beloved one
- Amos 6:10 Lit say
- Amos 6:10 Lit not to make mention in the name of
- Amos 6:12 Another reading is plow the sea with oxen
- Amos 6:12 I.e., bitterness
- Amos 6:13 Lit nothing
- Amos 6:13 Lit Who say
- Amos 6:13 Lit a pair of horns
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