‏ Amos 6

Woe to the Complacent

1 Woe to those who are at ease in
Zion: Originally a term for the fortified section of Jerusalem and then, by extension, used for the temple and the city of Jerusalem both in the present time and in the future
Zion b
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 c and see;
go from there to great Hamath; d
then go down to Gath e of the Philistines.
Are you better than these kingdoms?
Is their territory larger than yours?
3 You dismiss any thought of the evil day f
and bring in a reign of violence. g

4 They lie on beds inlaid with ivory, h
sprawled out on their couches, i
and dine on lambs from the flock j
and calves from the stall.
5 They improvise songs
Hb obscure
to the sound of the harp l
and invent
Or compose on
their own musical instruments like David. n
6 They drink wine by the bowlful o
and anoint themselves with the finest oils
but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. p
7 Therefore, they will now go into exile
as the first of the captives, q
and the feasting r of those who sprawl out
will come to an end.

Israel’s Pride Judged

8 The Lord God has sworn by Himself s – this is the declaration of
Yahweh/Yah: Or The Lord; the personal name of God in Hebrew; "Yah" is the shortened form of the name.
Yahweh, the God of
Hosts/hosts: Military forces consisting of God's angels, sometimes including the sun, moon, and stars, and occasionally, Israel
Hosts:

I loathe Jacob’s pride v
and hate his citadels, w
so I will hand over the city x and everything in it.

9And if there are 10 men left in one house, they will die. y 10A close relative
Lit His uncle
and burner
A burner of incense, a memorial fire, or a body; Hb obscure
,
ab will remove his corpse
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 Yahweh’s name must not be invoked.” ad

11 For the Lord commands:

The large house will be smashed to pieces,
and the small house to rubble. ae

12 Do horses gallop on the cliffs;
does anyone plow there with oxen?
Some emend to plow the sea

Yet you have turned justice into poison ag
and the fruit of righteousness into
wormwood: A small shrub used as a medicinal herb, noted for its bitter taste
wormwood ai
13 you who rejoice over Lo-debar aj
and say, “Didn’t we capture Karnaim
for ourselves by our own strength?” ak
14 But look, I am raising up a nation
against you, house of Israel al
this is the declaration of the Lord,

the God of Hosts

and they will oppress you
from the entrance of Hamath
Or from Lebo-hamath
,
an
to the Brook of the
Arabah: The section of the Great Rift in Palestine, extending from the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqabah. The Hebrew word can also be translated as "plain," referring to any plain or to any part of the Arabah.
Arabah.
Probably the Valley of Zared at the southeast end of the Dead Sea

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