Amós 4

"Yet You Have Not Returned to Me"

1 Hear this word, you *4:1 I.e., haughty, prominent womencows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria,

Who exploit the poor, who oppress the needy,

* 4:1 Lit Who And say to their *4:1 Lit lordshusbands, "Bring now, that we may drink!"

2 The Lord *4:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the chGod has sworn by His holiness,

"For behold, the days are coming upon you

When *4:2 Lit hethey will take you away with meat hooks,

And the last of you with fish hooks.

3 "You will go out through holes in the walls,

One in front of the other,

And you *4:3 As in LXX; MT will hurlwill be hurled to Harmon," declares the Lord.

4 "Enter Bethel and do wrong;

In Gilgal multiply wrongdoing!

Bring your sacrifices every morning,

Your tithes every three days.

5 "*4:5 Lit Offer up in smokeOffer a thanksgiving offering also from that which is leavened,

And proclaim *4:5 Or freewill offeringsvoluntary offerings, make them known.

For so you love to do, you sons of Israel,"

Declares the Lord God.

6 "But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities,

And lack of bread in all your places;

Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the Lord.

7 "Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you

While there were still three months until harvest.

Then I would send rain on one city,

But on another city I would not send rain;

One part would be rained on,

While the part not rained on would dry up.

8 "So the people of two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink water,

But would not be satisfied;

Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the Lord.

9 "I struck you with scorching wind and mildew;

The caterpillar was devouring

Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees;

Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the Lord.

10 "I sent a plague among you *4:10 Lit in the way of Egyptas in Egypt;

I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses,

And I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils;

Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the Lord.

11 "I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

And you were like a log snatched from a fire;

Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the Lord.

12 "Therefore so I will do to you, Israel;

Because I will do this to you,

Prepare to meet your God, Israel."

13 For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind,

And declares to a person what are His thoughts,

He who makes dawn into darkness

And treads on the high places of the earth,

The Lord God of armies is His name.