Amos 6

¹Sorrow to those who are resting in comfort in Zion, and to those who have no fear of danger in the mountain of Samaria, the noted men of the chief of the nations, to whom the people of Israel come!

²Go on to Calneh and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are you better than these kingdoms? or is your land wider than theirs?

³You who put far away the evil day, causing the rule of the violent to come near;

⁴Who are resting on beds of ivory, stretched out on soft seats, feasting on lambs from the flock and young oxen from the cattle-house;

⁵Making foolish songs to the sound of corded instruments, and designing for themselves instruments of music, like David;

⁶Drinking wine in basins, rubbing themselves with the best oils; but they have no grief for the destruction of Joseph.

⁷So now they will go away prisoners with the first of those who are made prisoners, and the loud cry of those who were stretched out will come to an end.

⁸The Lord God has taken an oath by himself, says the Lord, the God of armies: the pride of Jacob is disgusting to me, and I have hate for his great houses: so I will give up the town with everything in it.

⁹Then it will come about that if there are still ten men in a house, death will overtake them.

¹⁰And when a man's relation, even the one who is responsible for burning his body, lifting him up to take his bones out of the house, says to him who is in the inmost part of the house, Is there still anyone with you? and he says, No; then he will say, Keep quiet, for the name of the Lord may not be named.

¹¹For see, at the order of the Lord the great house will be full of cracks and the little house will be broken.

¹²Is it possible for horses to go running on the rock? may the sea be ploughed with oxen? for the right to be turned by you into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into a bitter plant?

¹³You whose joy is in a thing of no value, who say, Have we not taken for ourselves horns by the strength which is ours?

¹⁴For see, I will send against you a nation, O Israel, says the Lord, the God of armies, ruling you cruelly from the way into Hamath as far as the stream of the Arabah.

Amos 6

¹Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!

²Go to Calneh, and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their border greater than your border?

³Those who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

⁴Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

⁵who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;

⁶who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

⁷Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; and the feasting and lounging will end.

⁸"The Lord God has sworn by himself," says the Lord, the God of Hosts: "I abhor the pride of Jacob, and detest his fortresses. Therefore I will deliver up the city with all that is in it.

⁹It will happen, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.

¹⁰"When a man's relative carries him, even he who burns him, to bring bodies out of the house, and asks him who is in the innermost parts of the house, 'Is there yet any with you?' And he says, 'No;' then he will say, 'Hush! Indeed we must not mention the name of the Lord.'

¹¹"For, behold, the Lord commands, and the great house will be smashed to pieces, and the little house into bits.

¹²Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness;

¹³you who rejoice in a thing of nothing, who say, 'Haven't we taken for ourselves horns by our own strength?'

¹⁴For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel," says the Lord, the God of Hosts; "and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah."