Amos 6

New International Version

Woe to the Complacent

6 Woe to you^(A) who are complacent^(B) in Zion,
    and to you who feel secure^(C) on Mount Samaria,^(D)
you notable men of the foremost nation,
    to whom the people of Israel come!^(E)
²Go to Kalneh^(F) and look at it;
    go from there to great Hamath,^(G)
    and then go down to Gath^(H) in Philistia.
Are they better off than^(I) your two kingdoms?
    Is their land larger than yours?
³You put off the day of disaster
    and bring near a reign of terror.^(J)
⁴You lie on beds adorned with ivory
    and lounge on your couches.^(K)
You dine on choice lambs
    and fattened calves.^(L)
⁵You strum away on your harps^(M) like David
    and improvise on musical instruments.^(N)
⁶You drink wine^(O) by the bowlful
    and use the finest lotions,
    but you do not grieve^(P) over the ruin of Joseph.^(Q)
⁷Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;^(R)
    your feasting and lounging will end.^(S)

The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel

⁸The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself^(T)—the Lord God Almighty declares:

“I abhor^(U) the pride of Jacob^(V)
and detest his fortresses;^(W)
I will deliver up^(X) the city
and everything in it.^(Y)”

⁹If ten^(Z) people are left in one house, they too will die. ¹⁰And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them^[a]^(AA) asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush!^(AB) We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

¹¹For the Lord has given the command,
and he will smash^(AC) the great house^(AD) into pieces
and the small house into bits.^(AE)

¹²Do horses run on the rocky crags?
    Does one plow the sea^[b] with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison^(AF)
    and the fruit of righteousness^(AG) into bitterness^(AH)—
¹³you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar^[c]
    and say, “Did we not take Karnaim^[d] by our own strength?^(AI)”

¹⁴For the Lord God Almighty declares,
“I will stir up a nation^(AJ) against you, Israel,
that will oppress you all the way
from Lebo Hamath^(AK) to the valley of the Arabah.^(AL)”

Footnotes

Amos 6:10 Or to make a funeral fire in honor of the dead
Amos 6:12 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text plow there
Amos 6:13 Lo Debar means nothing.
Amos 6:13 Karnaim means horns; horn here symbolizes strength.