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The Fall of Samaria

How horrible it will be for those who are at ease in Zion,
    for those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,
        and for the heads of the leading nations,
            to whom the nation of Israel comes.

Go to Calneh and look.
    Go from there to the great city of Hamath.
        Then go to Gath, the city of the Philistines.
    Are you better than these kingdoms?
    Is their territory larger than yours?

How horrible it will be for those who think that a day of disaster is far away.
    They bring the reign of violence closer.
How horrible it will be for those who sleep on ivory beds.
    They sprawl out on their couches
        and eat lambs from their flocks and calves from their stalls.
How horrible it will be for those who make up songs as they strum a harp.
    Like David, they write all kinds of songs for themselves.
How horrible it will be for those who drink wine by the jugful.
    They rub the finest oils all over themselves
        and are not sorry for the ruin of the descendants of Joseph.

That is why they will now be the first to go into exile.
    The celebrating of those sprawled around the banquet table will stop.

Adonay Yahweh has sworn an oath on himself.
    Yahweh Elohe Tsebaoth declares:
    I am disgusted with Jacob’s pride,
        and I hate his palaces.
            So I will hand over the city and everything in it.
If ten people are left in one house, they will die.
10 If a relative or a mortician
    comes to take the dead bodies out of the house
        and asks someone who is inside the house,
            “Is there anyone else with you?”
                that person will answer, “No.”
                    “Hush,” he will add.
    “We shouldn’t mention the name of Yahweh!”
11 Yahweh is going to give the command
    to level big houses and flatten little houses.

12 Do horses run on rocks?
    Does a farmer plow the sea with oxen?
    Yet, you have turned justice into something deadly
        and what is righteous into poison.
13 How horrible it will be for those who rejoice over Lo Debar
    and who say, “We were strong enough to capture Karnaim by ourselves.”

14 I am going to lead a nation to attack you, nation of Israel,
    declares the Lord God of the Armies of the Nations.
    They will oppress you from the border of Hamath to the valley of Arabah.

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.