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Second Pronouncement of Punishment

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria,
    who oppress the poor and crush the needy,
    who say to their husbands, “Bring us something to drink!”
The Lord God has sworn by His holiness:
    Indeed the days are coming upon you
when they will take you away with hooks,
    the last one of you with fishhooks.
You will go out through breached walls,
    every one straight ahead of her;
    you will be exiled to Harmon,
    says the Lord.
Come to Bethel and transgress,
    to Gilgal and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning
    and your tithes every three days.
Burn leavened bread as a thank offering;
    announce your voluntary offerings loudly,
for so you love to do, O children of Israel,
    says the Lord God.

Though I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities
    and lack of food in all your places,
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

I also withheld the rain from you,
    when there were still three months to the harvest.
I would send rain on one town,
    and send no rain on another town.
One field would receive rain,
    but another field without rain would wither.
So two or three towns wandered to one town to drink water,
    but they were not satisfied;
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

I struck you with blight and mildew.
    Locusts devoured your many gardens and vineyards,
your fig trees and olive trees;
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

10 Pestilence like that of Egypt
    I sent against you.
By the sword I killed your young men;
    your horses were taken captive.
The stench of your camps I brought up into your nostrils;
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

11 I destroyed some of you,
    as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a firebrand plucked out of the fire;
    yet you did not return to Me,
    says the Lord.

12 Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel,
    and because I will do this to you,
    prepare to meet your God, O Israel!

13 The One who forms the mountains
    and creates the wind,
    who reveals His thoughts to man,
who turns the darkness into dawn
    and strides on the heights of the earth—
    the Lord, the God of Hosts, 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