Amos 6
6
Complacent Self-Indulgence Will Be Punished
1Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
the notables of the first of the nations,
to whom the house of Israel resorts!
2Cross over to Calneh, and see;
from there go to Hamath the great;
then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
Are you better#6.2 Or Are they better than these kingdoms?
Or is your#6.2 Heb their territory greater than their#6.2 Heb your territory,
3O you that put far away the evil day,
and bring near a reign of violence?
4Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory,
and lounge on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock,
and calves from the stall;
5who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
and like David improvise on instruments of music;
6who drink wine from bowls,
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
7Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
8The Lord God has sworn by himself
(says the Lord, the God of hosts):
I abhor the pride of Jacob
and hate his strongholds;
and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.
9If ten people remain in one house, they shall die. 10And if a relative, one who burns the dead,#6.10 Or who makes a burning for him shall take up the body to bring it out of the house, and shall say to someone in the innermost parts of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” the answer will come, “No.” Then the relative#6.10 Heb he shall say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”
11See, the Lord commands,
and the great house shall be shattered to bits,
and the little house to pieces.
12Do horses run on rocks?
Does one plow the sea with oxen?#6.12 Or Does one plow them with oxen
But you have turned justice into poison
and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—
13you who rejoice in Lo-debar,#6.13 Or in a thing of nothingness
who say, “Have we not by our own strength
taken Karnaim#6.13 Or horns for ourselves?”
14Indeed, I am raising up against you a nation,
O house of Israel, says the Lord, the God of hosts,
and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath
to the Wadi Arabah.
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Amos 6: NRSV
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Amos 6
6
Israel’s Good Times Will Be Taken Away
1Oh, look at the people enjoying life in Zion,
and those on Mount Samaria who feel so safe.
They are such important leaders of a most important nation.
The “House of Israel” comes to you for advice.
2Go look at Calneh.
From there, go to the large city Hamath.
Go to the Philistine city of Gath.#6:2 Calneh, Hamath, Gath Powerful Babylonian, Syrian, and Philistine cities that were all captured by the Assyrians.
Are you better than these kingdoms?
Their countries are larger than yours.
3You people are rushing toward the day of punishment.
You bring near the rule of violence.
4But now you lie on ivory beds
and stretch out on your couches.
You eat tender young lambs from the flock
and young calves from the stable.
5You play your harps,
and like David, you practice on#6:5 practice on Or “invent.” The Hebrew word means to “think,” “become skilled,” or “design.” your musical instruments.
6You drink wine in fancy cups.#6:6 fancy cups Very large bowls used in worship rituals.
You use the best perfumes.
And it doesn’t even bother you
that Joseph’s family is being destroyed.
7You people are stretched out on your couches now, but your good times will end. You will be taken away as prisoners to a foreign country, and you will be some of the first people taken. 8The Lord GOD used his own name and made an oath. The Lord God All-Powerful said,
“I hate what Jacob is proud of.
I hate his strong towers.
So I will let an enemy take the city
and everything in it.”
There Will Be Few Israelites Left Alive
9At that time ten people in one house might survive, but they too will die. 10And when someone dies, a relative will come to get the body so that it can be taken out and burned.#6:10 And when … burned The meaning of the Hebrew text here is uncertain. Relatives will come to take away the bones. They will call to anyone who might be hiding back in the house, “Are there any other dead bodies in there with you?”
That person will answer, “No, ….”#6:10 No, … The full answer might have been, “No, praise the Lord,” but the person was interrupted.
But the relative will interrupt and say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”
11Look, the Lord will give the command,
and the large houses will be broken to pieces,
and the small houses will be broken to small pieces.
12Do horses run over loose rocks?
No, and people don’t use cows for plowing.
But you turned everything upside down.
You changed justice and goodness to bitter poison.
13You are so excited about defeating Lo Debar.#6:13 Lo Debar This name means “nothing.”
And you boast, “We have taken Karnaim#6:13 Karnaim This name means “horns.” Horns were a symbol of strength. by our own strength.”
14“But Israel, I will bring a nation against you that will bring troubles to your whole country from Lebo Hamath to Arabah Brook.” This is what the Lord God All-Powerful said.
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