Amos 4

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

1Listen to this, you pampered women of Samaria who are like the well-fed cows of Bashan—you who mistreat the poor, crush the needy, and tell your husbands, 'Bring us something to drink!'

2The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that they shall take you away with hooks, and your residue with fish-hooks.

2The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness: 'The time is surely coming when you will be led away with meat hooks, and the last of you with fishhooks.'

3And ye shall go out at the breaches, every one straight before her; and ye shall cast yourselves into Harmon, saith Jehovah.

3You will go straight out through gaps in the collapsed walls, and you will be thrown toward Harmon, says the Lord.

4Come to Beth-el, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes every three days;

4Go ahead to Bethel and sin! Go to Gilgal and sin even more! Bring your sacrifices every morning and your tithes every three days.

5and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill-offerings and publish them: for this pleaseth you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah.

5Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your extra gifts. Show everyone how generous you are, for this is what you love to do, people of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord.

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 Jehovah.

6I gave you empty stomachs in every city and a lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me, says the Lord.

7And I also 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.

7I also held back the rain from you three months before the harvest. I sent rain on one city but not on another; one field got rain while another withered away.

8So two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water, and were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

8People from two or three towns staggered to another town just to get a drink of water, but they didn’t get enough. Even then, you did not return to me, says the Lord.

9I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees hath the palmer-worm devoured: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

9I struck your gardens and vineyards with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me, says the Lord.

10I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I have made the stench of your camp to come up even into your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

10I sent plagues among you like the ones in Egypt. I killed your young men in war and led your horses away. I made the stench of your dead camps fill your noses, yet you have not returned to me, says the Lord.

11I have overthrown cities among you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a brand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

11I overthrew some of your cities just as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick pulled from a fire, yet you have not returned to me, says 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.

12Therefore, this is what I will do to you, Israel; and because I am going to do this, prepare to meet your 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—Jehovah, the God of hosts, is his name.

13The Lord, the God of Heaven’s Armies, is his name. He is the one who forms the mountains and creates the wind. He reveals his thoughts to mankind. He turns the dawn into darkness and marches over the high places of the earth.