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I, the Lord God, have sworn
by my own name
    that your time is coming.
Not one of you will be left—
you will be taken away
    by sharp hooks.[a]
You will be dragged through holes
    in your city walls,
and you will be thrown
    toward Harmon.[b]
I, the Lord, have spoken!

Israel Refuses To Obey

The Lord said:

Come to Bethel and Gilgal.[c]
    Sin all you want!
Offer sacrifices the next morning
and bring a tenth of your crops
    on the third day.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 4.2 taken … hooks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 4.3 Harmon: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation “Mount Hermon,” a mountain in the north of Palestine, on the way to Assyria.
  3. 4.4 Bethel and Gilgal: These were two of the most important centers of worship in northern Israel. Amos mentions these together again in 5.5.
  4. 4.4 Offer … day: Or “Offer sacrifices each morning and bring a tenth of your crops every three days.” In verses 4,5 God is condemning the people for meaningless acts of worship.

The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
    “The time(A) will surely come
when you will be taken away(B) with hooks,(C)
    the last of you with fishhooks.[a]
You will each go straight out
    through breaches in the wall,(D)
    and you will be cast out toward Harmon,[b]
declares the Lord.
“Go to Bethel(E) and sin;
    go to Gilgal(F) and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,(G)
    your tithes(H) every three years.[c](I)

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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