Open English Translation AMOS Chapter 6

6 Those who’re at ease in Tsiyyon (Zion) won’t end well,

nor will those who feel secure in the hill country of Shomron (Samaria)—

the notable men of the best of the nations—

the ones who Israel’s descendants come to for help!

2 “Go to Kalneh and look.

From there go to Hamat-Rabah.

Then go down to the Philistine city of Gat.

Are they better than your two kingdoms?

Is their territory larger than yours?”

3 Those who refuse to consider the day of disaster won’t end well

and make the seat of violence come closer.

4 They lie on ivory beds

≈and lounge on their couches.

They eat lambs from the flock

≈and calves from the stall.

5 They sing fun songs with the harp as accompaniment.

They improvise on musical instruments like David did.

6 They drink bowls of wine

and anoint themselves with the finest oils,

but they don’t grieve over Israel’s ruin.

7 Therefore, they’ll go into exile now with the first exiles,

and the feasts of those who lounged about will come to an end.

8 This is the declaration of Yahweh, the God with armies:

“I, the master Yahweh, have sworn by myself

that I detest Israel’s pride.

I hate their fortresses,

therefore I’ll hand the city[fn] over with everything that’s in it.”

9 When that happens, if there’s ten people left in a house, they’ll all die. 10 When a person’s relative comes to take their bodies out of the house to be burnt outside, if he asks the person in the house if there’s anyone with them and if that person says there’s not, then he’ll say, “Don’t say anything else because we mustn’t mention Yahweh’s name.”

11 Yes, because, listen, Yahweh will give a command,

and the big house will be smashed to pieces,

≈and the little house turned into rubble.

12 Do horses run on the rocky cliffs?

≈Would someone plough there with oxen?

Yet you’ve all turned justice into poison

and the results of doing what’s right, into bitterness,

13 you who celebrate about capturing Lo-Debar—

who say, “Didn’t we take Karnaim by our own strength?”

14 Therefore, listen, I’ll raise up a nation against you people of Israel.

That’s the declaration of Yahweh, the God with armies.

They’ll afflict you

from Lebo-Hamat to the brook in the Arabah.”