1 The Lord God showed me a basket of ripe fruit 2 and asked, "Amos, what do you see?"

"A basket of ripe fruit," I replied.

Then he said,

"This is the end*

for my people Israel.

I won't forgive them again.

3 Instead of singing

in the temple,

they will cry and weep.

Dead bodies will be everywhere.

So keep silent!

I, the Lord, have spoken!"

4 You people crush those in need

and wipe out the poor.

5 You say to yourselves,

"How much longer before the end

of the New Moon Festival?

When will the Sabbath* be over?

Our wheat is ready,

and we want to sell it now.

We can't wait to cheat

and charge high prices

for the grain we sell.

We will use dishonest scales

6 and mix dust in the grain.

Those who are needy and poor

don't have any money.

We will make them our slaves

for the price

of a pair of sandals."

7 I, the Lord, won't forget

any of this,

though you take great pride

in your ancestor Jacob.*

8 Your country will tremble,

and you will mourn.

It will be like the Nile River

that rises and overflows,

then sinks back down.

9 On that day, I, the Lord God,

will make the sun

go down at noon,

and I will turn daylight

into darkness.

10 Your festivals and joyful singing

will turn into sorrow.

You will wear sackcloth*

and shave your heads,

as you would at the death

of your only son.

It will be a horrible day.

11 I, the Lord, also promise you

a terrible shortage,

but not of food and water.

You will hunger and thirst

to hear my message.

12 You will search everywhere—

from north to south,

from east to west.

You will go all over the earth,

seeking a message

from me, the Lord.

But you won't find one.

13 Your beautiful young women

and your young men

will faint from thirst.

14 You made promises

to the goddess Ashimah

at Samaria;

you made vows to other gods

at the shrines

of Dan and Beersheba.*

So now you will fall

and never get up.