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‘Ascultaţi cuvântul acesta, juncani(A) din Basan, de pe muntele Samariei, voi care asupriţi pe cei sărmani, zdrobiţi pe cei lipsiţi şi ziceţi bărbaţilor voştri: «Daţi-ne să bem!»’ Domnul, Dumnezeu(B) a jurat pe sfinţenia Lui şi a zis: ‘Iată, vin zile pentru voi când vă vor prinde cu cârligele(C) şi rămăşiţa voastră, cu undiţe de pescari; veţi ieşi(D) prin spărturi, fiecare drept înainte, şi veţi fi lepădate în Harmon’, zice Domnul. Duceţi-vă(E) numai la Betel şi păcătuiţi! Duceţi-vă la Ghilgal(F) şi păcătuiţi şi mai mult! Aduceţi-vă(G) jertfele în fiecare dimineaţă şi zeciuielile(H) la fiecare trei zile! Faceţi să fumege jertfe de mulţumire(I) făcute cu aluat! Trâmbiţaţi-vă, vestiţi-vă darurile de mâncare de bunăvoie(J)! Căci aşa(K) vă place, copii ai lui Israel, zice Domnul, Dumnezeu. Şi Eu, de partea Mea, v-am trimis foametea în toate cetăţile voastre şi lipsa de pâine în toate locuinţele voastre. Cu toate acestea, tot(L) nu v-aţi întors la Mine, zice Domnul. N-am vrut să vă dau nici ploaie când mai erau încă trei luni până la secerat; am dat ploaie peste o cetate, dar n-am dat ploaie peste o altă cetate; într-un ogor a plouat, şi altul, în care n-a plouat, s-a uscat. Două, trei cetăţi s-au dus la alta ca să bea apă, şi tot nu şi-au potolit setea. Cu toate acestea, tot(M) nu v-aţi întors la Mine, zice Domnul. V-am(N) lovit cu rugină în grâu şi cu tăciune; grădinile voastre cele multe, viile, smochinii şi măslinii voştri i-au mâncat deseori lăcustele(O). Cu toate acestea, tot nu v-aţi întors la Mine, zice Domnul. 10 Am trimis în voi ciuma, ca(P) în Egipt; v-am ucis tinerii cu sabia şi am lăsat să vi se ia caii, am făcut să vi se suie în nări duhoarea taberei voastre. Şi, cu toate acestea, tot(Q) nu v-aţi întors la Mine, zice Domnul. 11 V-am nimicit ca pe Sodoma şi Gomora(R), pe care le-a nimicit Dumnezeu, şi aţi fost(S) ca un tăciune scos din foc. Cu toate acestea, tot(T) nu v-aţi întors la Mine, zice Domnul. 12 ‘De aceea îţi voi face astfel, Israele, şi, fiindcă îţi voi face astfel, pregăteşte-te(U) să întâlneşti pe Dumnezeul tău, Israele! 13 Căci iată că El a întocmit munţii, a făcut vântul şi spune omului(V) până şi gândurile lui. El preface zorile(W) în întuneric şi umblă(X) pe înălţimile pământului: Domnul(Y), Dumnezeul oştirilor, este Numele Lui.’

“Listen, you [lovely] cows of Bashan,
who live on Mount Shomron,
who oppress the poor and grind down the needy,
who say to their husbands, ‘Bring something to drink’:
Adonai Elohim has sworn by his holiness
that your time is surely coming.

“You will be dragged away with hooks,
the last of you with fishhooks.
You will leave through breaks in the wall,
each woman right behind the next,
and be sent off to Harmonah,” says Adonai.

“Come to Beit-El, and commit crimes;
to Gilgal, and commit more crimes!
Bring your sacrifices in the morning
and your tithes after three days;
burn leavened bread as a thank offering;
brag in public about your voluntary offerings;
because that’s what you love to do, Isra’el!”
says Adonai Elohim.

“I made your teeth clean of food in all your cities,
left you nothing to eat in all your villages;
still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai.

“I withheld the rain from you
three months before the harvest.
I made it rain on one city
and not on another —
one field had rain,
while another with no rain dried up;
from two or three cities they would stagger to one city
for water to drink, but there wasn’t enough;
still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai.

“I struck your crops with hot winds and blight,
your many gardens and vineyards;
the cutter-worms devoured
your fig and olive trees;
still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai.

10 “I sent a plague on you like that of Egypt,
put your young men to death with the sword;
let your horses be captured;
and filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps;
still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai.
11 “I overthrew some of you,
as when God overthrew S’dom and ‘Amora;
you were like a burning stick snatched from the fire;
still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai.

12 “This is why I will deal with you in this way, Isra’el;
and because I will deal with you in this way,
prepare to meet your God, Isra’el —
13 him who forms mountains and creates wind,
who declares to humankind his thoughts,
who turns the morning to darkness
and strides on the heights of the earth —
Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot is his name.”

Israel Has Not Returned to God

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan(A) on Mount Samaria,(B)
    you women who oppress the poor(C) and crush the needy(D)
    and say to your husbands,(E) “Bring us some drinks!(F)
The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
    “The time(G) will surely come
when you will be taken away(H) with hooks,(I)
    the last of you with fishhooks.[a]
You will each go straight out
    through breaches in the wall,(J)
    and you will be cast out toward Harmon,[b]
declares the Lord.
“Go to Bethel(K) and sin;
    go to Gilgal(L) and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,(M)
    your tithes(N) every three years.[c](O)
Burn leavened bread(P) as a thank offering
    and brag about your freewill offerings(Q)
boast about them, you Israelites,
    for this is what you love to do,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.

“I gave you empty stomachs in every city
    and lack of bread in every town,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(R)

“I also withheld(S) rain from you
    when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
    but withheld it from another.(T)
One field had rain;
    another had none and dried up.
People staggered from town to town for water(U)
    but did not get enough(V) to drink,
    yet you have not returned(W) to me,”
declares the Lord.(X)

“Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
    destroying them with blight and mildew.(Y)
Locusts(Z) devoured your fig and olive trees,(AA)
    yet you have not returned(AB) to me,”
declares the Lord.

10 “I sent plagues(AC) among you
    as I did to Egypt.(AD)
I killed your young men(AE) with the sword,
    along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench(AF) of your camps,
    yet you have not returned to me,”(AG)
declares the Lord.(AH)

11 “I overthrew some of you
    as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.(AI)
You were like a burning stick(AJ) snatched from the fire,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(AK)

12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
    and because I will do this to you, Israel,
    prepare to meet your God.”

13 He who forms the mountains,(AL)
    who creates the wind,(AM)
    and who reveals his thoughts(AN) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth(AO)
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 4:2 Or away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets
  2. Amos 4:3 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) out, you mountain of oppression
  3. Amos 4:4 Or days