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Israel Will Be Destroyed

How terrible it will be for those who have an easy life in Jerusalem,
    for those who feel safe living on Mount Samaria.
You think you are the important people of the best nation in the world;
    the Israelites come to you for help.
Go look at the city of Calneh,
    and from there go to the great city Hamath;
    then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
You are no better than these kingdoms.
    Your land is no larger than theirs.
You put off the day of punishment,
    but you bring near the day when you can do evil to others.
You lie on beds decorated with ivory
    and stretch out on your couches.
You eat tender lambs
    and fattened calves.
You make up songs on your harps,
    and, like David, you compose songs on musical instruments.
You drink wine by the bowlful
    and use the best perfumed lotions.
    But you are not sad over the ruin of Israel,
so you will be some of the first ones taken as slaves.
    Your feasting and lying around will come to an end.

The Lord God made this promise; the Lord God All-Powerful says:

“I hate the pride of the Israelites,
    and I hate their strong buildings,
so I will let the enemy take the city
    and everything in it.”

At that time there might be only ten people left alive in just one house, but they will also die. 10 When the relatives come to get the bodies to take them outside, one of them will call to the other and ask, “Are there any other dead bodies with you?”

That person will answer, “No.”

Then the one who asked will say, “Hush! We must not say the name of the Lord.”

11 The Lord has given the command;
    the large house will be broken into pieces,
    and the small house into bits.
12 Horses do not run on rocks,
    and people do not plow rocks with oxen.
But you have changed fairness into poison;
    you have changed what is right into a bitter taste.
13 You are happy that the town of Lo Debar was captured,
    and you say, “We have taken Karnaim[a] by our own strength.”
14 The Lord God All-Powerful says,
    “Israel, I will bring a nation against you
that will make your people suffer from Lebo Hamath in the north
    to the valley south of the Dead Sea.”

Footnotes

  1. 6:13 Lo Debar . . . Karnaim These were two not especially significant cities that the Israelites had captured in war.

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.