Amos 4
The LORD rebukes the wealthy women of Samaria — the "kine of Bashan" — who oppress the poor and crush the needy. He sent famine, drought, blight, pestilence, and overthrow like Sodom — yet they did not return to Him. "Therefore prepare to meet your God, O Israel."
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink. | Hear this word, You kine of Bashan on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor and crush the needy, who say to their masters, "Bring, and let us drink." |
| 2 | The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. | The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness that the days will come on You when He will take You away with hooks, and Your posterity with fishhooks. |
| 3 | And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD. | You will go out through the breaches in the wall, each cow straight before her, and You will be cast into the palace," says the LORD. |
| 4 | Come to Beth-el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: | "Come to Bethel — and transgress! At Gilgal — multiply transgression! Bring Your sacrifices every morning, and Your tithes every three years. |
| 5 | And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. | Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the freewill offerings — for so You love to do, children of Israel," says the Lord GOD. |
| 6 | And 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 the LORD. | "I also have given You cleanness of teeth in all Your cities, and want of bread in all Your places. Yet You have not returned to Me," says the LORD. |
| 7 | And also I 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. | "I also withheld the rain from You, when there were yet three months to the harvest. I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another. One piece of ground was rained upon, and the piece on which it did not rain withered. |
| 8 | So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. | So two or three cities wandered to one city to drink water, but they were not satisfied. Yet You have not returned to Me," says the LORD. |
| 9 | I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. | "I have struck You with blasting and mildew. When Your gardens and Your vineyards and Your fig trees and Your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them. Yet You have not returned to Me," says the LORD. |
| 10 | I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. | "I have sent among You the pestilence, after the manner of Egypt. Your young men I have slain with the sword, and have taken away Your horses. I have made the stench of Your camps come up into Your nostrils. Yet You have not returned to Me," says the LORD. |
| 11 | I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. | "I have overthrown some of You, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning. Yet You have not returned to Me," says the LORD. |
| 12 | Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. | "Therefore this is what I will do to You, Israel. And because I will do this to You — prepare to meet Your God, Israel." |
| 13 | For, 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, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. | For He who forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares to man what is His thought; who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth — the LORD, the God of hosts, is His name. |