Amos 6

¹Wo to you, that ben ful of richessis in Sion, and tristen in the hil of Samarie, ye principal men, the heedis of puplis, that goen proudli in to the hous of Israel.

²Go ye in to Calamye, and se ye, and go ye fro thennus in to Emath the greet; and go ye doun in to Geth of Palestyns, and to alle the beste rewmes of hem, if her terme be broddere than youre terme.

³And ye ben departid in to yuel dai, and neiyen to the seete of wickidnesse;

⁴and ye slepen in beddis of yuer, and doen letcherie in youre beddis; and ye eten a lomb of the flok, and calues of the myddil of droue;

⁵and ye syngen at vois of sautree. As Dauid thei gessiden hem for to haue instrumentis of song, and drynken wyn in viols;

⁶and with beste oynement thei weren anoynted; and in no thing thei hadden compassioun on the sorewe, ether defoulyng, of Joseph.

⁷Wherfor now thei schulen passe in the heed of men passynge ouer, and the doyng of men doynge letcherie schal be don awei.

⁸The Lord God swoor in his soule, seith the Lord God of oostis, Y wlate the pride of Jacob, and Y hate the housis of hym, and Y schal bitake the citee with hise dwelleris;

⁹that if ten men ben left in oon hous, and thei schulen die.

¹⁰And his neiybore schal take hym, and schal brenne hym, that he bere out boonys of the hous. And he schal seie to hym, that is in the priuy places of the hous,

¹¹Whether ther is yit anentis thee? And he schal answer, An ende is. And he schal seie to hym, Be thou stille, and thenke thou not on the name of the Lord.

¹²For lo! the Lord schal comaunde, and schal smyte the grettere hous with fallyngis, and the lesse hous with brekyngis.

¹³Whether horsis moun renne in stoonys, ether it mai be eerid with wielde oxun? For ye turneden doom in to bitternesse, and the fruyt of riytfulnesse in to wermod.

¹⁴And ye ben glad in nouyt, and ye seien, Whether not in oure strengthe we token to vs hornes?

¹⁵Lo! Y schal reise on you, the hous of Israel, seith the Lord God of oostis, a folc; and it schal al to-breke you fro entre of Emath `til to the streem of desert.

Amos 6

¹Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

²Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

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

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

⁵That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

⁶That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

⁷Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

⁸The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

⁹And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.

¹⁰And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.

¹¹For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

¹²Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

¹³Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

¹⁴But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.