Amos 4

1Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.

2The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

3And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.footnote a

4Come to Beth-el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:footnote b

5And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.footnote cfootnote d

6And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

7And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

8So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

9I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.footnote e

10I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.footnote ffootnote g

11I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

12Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

13For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.footnote h

Punishment Brings No Repentance

1Hear this word,you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria,you women who oppress the poorand crush the needy,who say to your husbands,“Bring us more to drink.” 2The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness:“Behold, the days are comingwhen you will be taken away with hooks,and your posterity with fishhooks. 3You will go out through broken walls,each one straight ahead of her,and you will be cast out toward Harmon,footnote a”declares the LORD. 4“Go to Bethel and transgress;rebel even more at Gilgal!Bring your sacrifices every morning,your tithes every three days.footnote b 5Offer leavened bread as a thank offering,and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings.For that is what you children of Israel love to do,”declares the Lord GOD. 6“I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teethfootnote cand all your towns with lack of bread,yet you did not return to Me,”declares the LORD. 7“I also withheld the rain from youwhen the harvest was three months away.I sent rain on one citybut withheld it from another.One field received rain;another without rain withered. 8People staggered from city to cityfor water to drink,but they were not satisfied;yet you did not return to Me,”declares the LORD. 9“I struck you with blight and mildewin your growing gardens and vineyards;the locust devoured your fig and olive trees,yet you did not return to Me,”declares the LORD. 10“I sent plagues among youlike those of Egypt;I killed your young men with the sword,along with your captured horses.I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp,yet you did not return to Me,”declares the LORD. 11“Some of you I overthrewas I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,and you were like a firebrandfootnote dsnatched from a blaze,yet you did not return to Me,”declares the LORD. 12“Therefore, that is what I will doto you, O Israel,and since I will do this to you,prepare to meet your God, O Israel! 13For behold, He who forms the mountains,who creates the windand reveals His thoughts to man,who turns the dawn to darknessand strides on the heights of the earth—the LORD, the God of Hosts, is His name.”