The Book of the Prophet Amos 6 The Corruption of Israel. Threats

 The Book of the Prophet Amos 6

The Corruption of Israel. Threats

1 Woe to those who rest in Zion, and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria; who are renowned among the foremost nations, and to whom the house of Israel comes!

2 Go to Calneh, and see; and from there go to great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than yours?

3 You who prolong the evil day, and draw near to the place of violence;

4 You who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch yourselves out on your couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the herd;

5 You sing to the sound of the lute, and invent for yourselves musical instruments like David:

6 You drink wine from bowls, and anoint yourselves with the finest oils: but you do not grieve over the downfall of Joseph:

7 Behold, now you will go into captivity among the first to be taken captive, and the feasts of the lavish will cease.

8 The Lord God has sworn by his soul, the Lord God of hosts: I abhor the pride of Jacob, and I hate his palaces; and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.

9 And it shall come to pass, that there shall be left ten men in a house, and they shall die.

10 And his uncle, or he that burneth him, shall return to him, to carry the bones out of the house; and he shall say to him that sitteth in the corners of the house, Is there yet any with thee? And he shall say, No man. And he shall say, Be quiet; for we cannot make mention of the name of the Lord.

11 For behold, the Lord commands, and the great house shall be struck with breaches, and the small house with cracks.

12 Can horses run on the rock? Can oxen plow it? Why have you turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood?

13 You who rejoice in nothing, you who say, “Have we not become mighty by our own strength?”

14 For behold, I will raise up against you, O house of Israel, a nation, declares the Lord God of hosts, and it shall oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the plain.