Amos

Third Woe: Worship and Justice

Woe to those proud people, 

Who live overconfident, 

on the hill of Samaria!

Woe to you, leaders of fame, 

From the top among the nations, 

to whom the people of Israel turn!

Pass through Calneh and see; 

from there, go to Hamath the great, 

then descend to Gath of the Philistines. 

Are you better than these kingdoms? 

Is your territory larger than theirs? 

You hope to delay the evil day; 

in reality, you are bringing 

about a year of violence.

You lie on beds inlaid with ivory

and lounge upon your couches; 

you eat lamb from the flock 

and veal from calves 

fattened in the stall.

You strum your harps, and like David, 

try out new musical instruments.

You drink wine by the bowlful 

and anoint yourselves 

with the finest oils; 

but you do not mourn 

the destruction of Joseph.

Therefore, you will be the first 

to go into exile, 

and the feast of the sprawlers 

will end.

The Lord has sworn by his life: 

“I hate the proud city of Jacob, 

I hate its palaces. 

I will hand over the city 

and everything in it.” 

In those days, if ten people are left 

In one house, they shall die. 

Their kinsman will lift the corpses and carry the bones out of the house; when he says to his comrade at the back part of the house: “Are there any more?” the other will say: “No, but hush!  We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

For this is the Lord’s command: “The great house shall crumble, and the small house fall to pieces.”

Do horses run on rocky cliffs? 

Does anyone plow the sea with oxen? 

Well, you have turned the rights 

into a poisonous plant, 

and the court’s sentences 

into wormwood.

You rejoice over trivial matters 

when you say: 

“Are we not winners once more?” 

Yet, I am stirring up against you, Israel, 

A nation that will oppress you, 

from the pass of Lebo-hamath 

to the brook of the Arabah.