Amos 4

1 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!”

Hear this word, O ye cows of Bashan, that are on the mount of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their lords, Bring, and let us drink.

2 The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness, “Behold, the days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.

Sworn hath the Lord Eternal by his holiness, that, lo, days are coming over you, when men will carry you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

3 You will go out at the breaks in the wall, everyone straight before her; and you will cast yourselves into Harmon,” says the LORD.

And through breaches in the wall shall ye go out, every one through that before her: and ye shall cast off your proud greatness, saith the Lord.

4 “Go to Bethel, and sin; to Gilgal, and sin more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days,

Go then to Beth-el, and transgress; to Gilgal, [and] multiply transgression; and bring in the morning your sacrifices, after three days your tithes:

5 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 GOD.

And burn of leaven a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and proclaim and publish freewill-offerings; for so do you love [to do], O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord Eternal.

6 “I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you have not returned to me,” says the LORD.

But, I also had indeed given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: and yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

7 “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 did not rain withered.

And I also had indeed withholden from you the rain, when it was yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and upon another city I caused it not to rain; one piece of land was rained upon, and another piece whereupon it rained not became dried up;

8 So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water, and were not satisfied; yet you have not returned to me,” says the LORD.

And two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: and yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

9 “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 have not returned to me,” says the LORD.

I had smitten you with blasting and mildew; the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees did the caterpillar devour: and yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

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. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you have not returned to me,” says the LORD.

I had sent out against you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men with the sword, together with your captive horses; and I had caused the stench of your camps to ascend even into your nostrils; and yet ye have not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

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 have not returned to me,” says the LORD.

I had produced an overthrow among you, like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye became like a fire-brand snatched out of the burning: and yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

12 “Therefore I will do this to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel.

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: because then I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

13 For, behold, he who forms the mountains, creates the wind, declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth: The LORD, the God of Armies, is his name.”

For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning-dawn [and] darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, — The Lord, the God of hosts, is his name.