Amos, 4

1. Hear this word, women of the mountain of Samaria, you cows of Bashan, You who oppress the weak and abuse the needy; Who say to your lords, "Bring drink for us!"

1. Listen to this saying, you cows of Bashan living on the hill of Samaria, exploiting the weak and ill-treating the poor, saying to your husbands, 'Bring us something to drink!'

2. The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness: Truly the days are coming upon you When they shall drag you away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks;

2. The Lord God has sworn by his holiness: Look, the days will soon be on you when he will use hooks to drag you away and fish-hooks for the very last of you;

3. You shall go out through the breached walls each by the most direct way, And you shall be cast into the mire, says the LORD.

3. through the breaches in the wall you will leave, each one straight ahead, and be herded away towards Hermon -declares Yahweh.

4. Come to Bethel and sin, to Gilgal, and sin the more; Each morning bring your sacrifices, every third day, your tithes;

4. Go to Bethel, and sin, to Gilgal, and sin even harder! Bring your sacrifices each morning, your tithes every third day,

5. Burn leavened food as a thanksgiving sacrifice, proclaim publicly your freewill offerings, For so you love to do, O men of Israel, says the Lord GOD.

5. burn your thank-offering of leaven and widely publicise your free-will offerings, for this, children of Israel, is what makes you happy -declares the Lord Yahweh.

6. Though I have made your teeth clean of food in all your cities, and have made bread scarce in all your dwellings, Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.

6. I even gave you clean teeth in all your towns and a shortage of food in all your villages and still you would not come back to me -declares Yahweh.

7. Though I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was still three months away; I sent rain upon one city but not upon another; One field was watered by rain, but another without rain dried up;

7. I even withheld the rain from you full three months before harvest-time; I caused rain to fall in one town and caused no rain to fall in another; one field was rained on and the next for want of rain dried up;

8. Though two or three cities staggered to one city for water that did not quench their thirst; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.

8. two towns, three towns went tottering to one town for water to drink but went unsatisfied, and still you would not come back to me -declares Yahweh.

9. I struck you with blight and searing wind; your many gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees the locust devoured; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.

9. I struck you with blight and mildew, I dried up your gardens and vineyards; the locust devoured your fig trees and olive trees and still you would not come back to me -declares Yahweh.

10. I sent upon you a pestilence like that of Egypt, and with the sword I slew your young men; Your horses I let be captured, to your nostrils I brought the stench of your camps; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.

10. I sent plague on you like Egypt's plague, I slaughtered your young men with the sword and at the same time your horses were captured; I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps and still you would not come back to me -declares Yahweh.

11. I brought upon you such upheaval as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah: you were like a brand plucked from the fire; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.

11. I overturned you as God overturned Sodom and Gomorrah; you were like a brand snatched from the blaze and still you would not come back to me -declares Yahweh.

12. So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel! and since I will deal thus with you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel:

12. So this, Israel, is what I plan to do to you. Because I am going to do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God!

13. Him who formed the mountains, and created the wind, and declares to man his thoughts; Who made the dawn and the darkness, and strides upon the heights of the earth: The LORD, the God of hosts by name.

13. For look, he it is who forges the mountains, creates the wind, who reveals his mind to humankind, changes the dawn into darkness and strides on the heights of the world: Yahweh, God Sabaoth, is his name.