God’s Punishments Have Not Reformed Israel
Who oppress the poor,
Who crush the needy,
Who say to [a]your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!”
2 The Lord God has sworn by His holiness:
“Behold, the days shall come upon you
When He will take you away with fishhooks,
And your posterity with fishhooks.
3 You will go out through broken walls,
Each one straight ahead of her,
And you will [b]be cast into Harmon,”
Says the Lord.
At Gilgal multiply transgression;
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three [c]days.
5 Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven,
Proclaim and announce the freewill offerings;
For this you love,
You children of Israel!”
Says the Lord God.
Israel Did Not Accept Correction
6 “Also I gave you [d]cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
And lack of bread in all your places;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
When there were still three months to the harvest.
I made it rain on one city,
I withheld rain from another city.
One part was rained upon,
And where it did not rain the part withered.
8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water,
But they were not satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
When your gardens increased,
Your vineyards,
Your fig trees,
And your olive trees,
The locust devoured them;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
Your young men I killed with a sword,
Along with your captive horses;
I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
He who forms mountains,
And creates the [e]wind,
Who declares to man what [f]his thought is,
And makes the morning darkness,
Who treads the high places of the earth—
The Lord God of hosts is His name.
Footnotes
- Amos 4:1 Lit. their masters or lords
- Amos 4:3 Or cast them
- Amos 4:4 Or years, Deut. 14:28
- Amos 4:6 Hunger
- Amos 4:13 Or spirit
- Amos 4:13 Or His