Amos 6

Woe to the Complacent

1 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion  * 6:1 Is 32:9–11; Zph 1:12

and to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria —

the notable people in this first of the nations,

those the house of Israel comes to.

2 Cross over to Calneh  * 6:2 Gn 10:10; Is 10:9 and see;

go from there to great Hamath;  * 6:2 1Kg 8:65; 2Kg 18:34; Is 10:9

then go down to Gath  * 6:2 1Sm 5:8; 2Ch 26:6 of the Philistines.

Are you better than these kingdoms?

Is their territory larger than yours?

3 You dismiss any thought of the evil day  * 6:3 Am 9:10

and bring in a reign of violence.  * 6:3 Am 3:10

4 They lie on beds inlaid with ivory,  * 6:4 Am 3:15

sprawled out on their couches,  * 6:4 Am 3:12

and dine on lambs from the flock  * 6:4 Ezk 34:2–3

and calves from the stall.

5 They improvise songs  * 6:5 Hb obscure to the sound of the harp  * 6:5 Am 5:23; 8:10

and invent  * 6:5 Or compose on their own musical instruments like David.  * 6:5 1Ch 15:16

6 They drink wine by the bowlful  * 6:6 Am 2:8; 4:1

and anoint themselves with the finest oils

but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.  * 6:6 Jr 8:21; Lm 2:11

7 Therefore, they will now go into exile

as the first of the captives,  * 6:7 Am 7:11,17

and the feasting  * 6:7 1Kg 20:16–21; Dn 5:4–6,30 of those who sprawl out

will come to an end.

Israel’s Pride Judged

8 The Lord God has sworn by himself  * 6:8 Gn 22:16; Jr 22:5; 51:14  — this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Armies:

I loathe Jacob’s pride  * 6:8 Lv 26:30; Dt 32:19; Ps 106:40

and hate his citadels,  * 6:8 Am 3:10–11

so I will hand over the city  * 6:8 Hs 11:6 and everything in it.

9 And if there are ten men left in one house, they will die.  * 6:9 Am 5:310 A close relative  * 6:10 Lit His uncle and burner  * 6:10 A burner of incense, a memorial fire, or a body; Hb obscure,* 6:10 1Sm 31:12; 2Ch 16:14; Jr 34:5 will remove his corpse  * 6:10 Lit remove bones from the house. He will call to someone in the inner recesses of the house, "Any more with you? "

That person will reply, "None."

Then he will say, "Silence, because the Lord’s name must not be invoked."  * 6:10 Is 48:1; Jr 44:26; Hs 4:15

11 For the Lord commands:

The large house will be smashed to pieces,

and the small house to rubble.  * 6:11 Am 1:1; 9:9

12 Do horses gallop on the cliffs?

Does anyone plow there with oxen?  * 6:12 Some emend to plow the sea

Yet you have turned justice into poison  * 6:12 1Kg 21:7–13; Is 59:13–14

and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood  * 6:12 Is 5:20; Am 5:7; Rv 8:11  —

13 you who rejoice over Lo-debar  * 6:13 Jb 8:14–15; Ps 2:2–4; Lk 12:19–20

and say, "Didn’t we capture Karnaim

for ourselves by our own strength? "  * 6:13 Ps 75:4; Is 28:14–15

14 But look, I am raising up a nation

against you, house of Israel  * 6:14 Am 3:11  —

this is the declaration of the Lord,

the  God of Armies —

and they will oppress you

from the entrance of Hamath  * 6:14 Or from Lebo-hamath,* 6:14 Nm 34:7–8; 2Kg 14:25

to the Brook of the Arabah.  * 6:14 Probably the Valley of Zared at the southeast end of the Dead Sea