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Amos

Speaks against injustice and predicts Israel's punishment but ends with hope for restoration.

Chapter 4

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1 Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.

*Listen, people of Bashan in Samaria's mountains, who mistreat the poor, hurt the helpless, and tell your leaders, "Bring food and drinks for us."

2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

*God promises, using his goodness, that a time will come when he takes you away using hooks, and your children using fish hooks.

3 And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.

*You will leave through the openings, each cow going to its own place. Then you will throw them into the palace, says the Lord.

4 Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:

*Go to Bethel and disobey; at Gilgal do it more; offer your sacrifices daily, and pay your tithes every third year.

5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

*Give a thank-you offering with bread that has yeast, and announce the free gifts. This is good for you, children of Israel, says the Lord God.

6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

*I've given you clean teeth everywhere in your towns, and a lack of bread everywhere in your areas. But you haven't come back to me, says the Lord.

7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

*I withheld rain from you for three months before harvest time. I made it rain on one city and didn't make it rain on another. One area got rain, while the other without rain dried up.

8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

*Two or three cities went to another city for water, but they weren't filled up. Yet, they didn't come back to me, says the Lord.

9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

*I hurt you with destruction and mold. When your gardens, vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees grew, a worm ate them all. But you didn't come back to me, says the Lord.

10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

*I brought a sickness like in Egypt among you. I killed your young men with swords and took your horses. Your camp smells bad. But you didn't come back to me, says the Lord.

11 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

*I have defeated some of you like God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning ember taken from a fire, but you haven't come back to me, says the Lord.

12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

*So, I will act like this towards you, Israel. Since I am doing this, get ready to encounter your God, Israel.

13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

*Behold, the one who shapes mountains, makes the wind, and reveals to people their thoughts, the one who creates morning light and walks on the high places of the earth - this is the Lord, the God of armies.

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* work in progress, there will be mistakes

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