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Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, “Bring us drinks!”

The Lord Yahweh has sworn by his holiness that behold,
    “The days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks,
    and the last of you with fish hooks.
You will go out at the breaks in the wall,
    everyone straight before her;
    and you will cast yourselves into Harmon,” says Yahweh.
“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.”

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