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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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Amos 6
6
At Ease in Zion
1Oy ! You who are at ease in Zion, trusting in Samaria’s hill! Distinguished ones of the foremost of nations— to whom the house of Israel comes
2Go over to Calneh and look. From there go to great Hamath, go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory larger than yours?
3Dismissing the day of calamity, you bring near the throne of violence.
4Reclining on beds of ivory, sprawling on their couches, dining on lambs from the flock and calves from amid the stall,
5chanting to the sound of harp like David, inventing their own instruments of song,
6drinking wine from bowls, anointing with choice ointments— yet they are not sickened over the breakdown of Joseph.
7Therefore now they will go into exile at the head of the exiles. Sprawling revelry will cease.
8My Lord Adonai has sworn by Himself —declares Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot— “I loathe the arrogance of Jacob, I despise his palaces, so I will shut down the city and everything in it.”
9If ten people remain in one house, they will die.
10One’s beloved—the one burning incense for him—will lift him up to carry the bones out of the house, and he will say to one in the innermost recess of the house: “Is anyone else still with you?” And he will say: “No one.” Then he will say, “Hush! For we must not mention the Name of Adonai.”
11For behold, Adonai will command, He will smash the big house to fragments and the little house to splinters.
12Will horses run on the cliff? Will one plow there with oxen? Yet you turned justice into venom, the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.
13You are rejoicing for no reason, saying: “Haven’t we taken two horns for ourselves by our own strength?”
14“For behold, I am raising up against you, O house of Israel, a nation, and they will afflict you from Lebo-Hamath to the Valley of the Arabah.” declares Adonai, the God of Hosts.
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