Amos 4

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Listen to this saying, you cows of Bashan living on the hil of Samaria, exploiting the weak and il -treating the poor, saying to your husbands, 'Bring us something to drink!'	1 Hear this word, women of the mountain of Samaria, you cows of Bashan, You who oppress the weak and abuse the needy; Who say to your lords, "Bring drink for us!"
2 The Lord God has sworn by his holiness: Look, the days wil soon be on you when he wil use hooks todrag you away and fish-hooks for the very last of you;	2 The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness: Truly the days are coming upon you When they shall drag you away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks;
3 through the breaches in the wal you wil leave, each one straight ahead, and be herded away towardsHermon -declares Yahweh.	3 You shall go out through the breached walls each by the most direct way, And you shall be cast into the mire, says the LORD.
4 Go to Bethel, and sin, to Gilgal, and sin even harder! Bring your sacrifices each morning, your tithesevery third day,	4 Come to Bethel and sin, to Gilgal, and sin the more; Each morning bring your sacrifices, every third day, your tithes;
5 burn your thank-offering of leaven and widely publicise your free-wil offerings, for this, children ofIsrael, is what makes you happy -declares the Lord Yahweh.	5 Burn leavened food as a thanksgiving sacrifice, proclaim publicly your freewill offerings, For so you love to do, O men of Israel, says the Lord GOD.
6 I even gave you clean teeth in all your towns and a shortage of food in al your vil ages and stil youwould not come back to me -declares Yahweh.	6 Though I have made your teeth clean of food in all your cities, and have made bread scarce in all your dwellings, Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.
7 I even withheld the rain from you ful three months before harvest-time; I caused rain to fall in one townand caused no rain to fal in another; one field was rained on and the next for want of rain dried up;	7 Though I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was still three months away; I sent rain upon one city but not upon another; One field was watered by rain, but another without rain dried up;
8 two towns, three towns went tottering to one town for water to drink but went unsatisfied, and stil youwould not come back to me -declares Yahweh.	8 Though two or three cities staggered to one city for water that did not quench their thirst; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.
9 I struck you with blight and mildew, I dried up your gardens and vineyards; the locust devoured your figtrees and olive trees and stil you would not come back to me -declares Yahweh.	9 I struck you with blight and searing wind; your many gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees the locust devoured; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.
10 I sent plague on you like Egypt's plague, I slaughtered your young men with the sword and at thesame time your horses were captured; I fil ed your nostrils with the stench of your camps and stil you would notcome back to me -declares Yahweh.	10 I sent upon you a pestilence like that of Egypt, and with the sword I slew your young men; Your horses I let be captured, to your nostrils I brought the stench of your camps; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.
11 I overturned you as God overturned Sodom and Gomorrah; you were like a brand snatched from theblaze and stil you would not come back to me -declares Yahweh.	11 I brought upon you such upheaval as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah: you were like a brand plucked from the fire; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD.
12 So this, Israel, is what I plan to do to you. Because I am going to do this to you, Israel, prepare tomeet your God!	12 So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel! and since I will deal thus with you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel:
13 For look, he it is who forges the mountains, creates the wind, who reveals his mind to humankind,changes the dawn into darkness and strides on the heights of the world: Yahweh, God Sabaoth, is his name.	13 Him who formed the mountains, and created the wind, and declares to man his thoughts; Who made the dawn and the darkness, and strides upon the heights of the earth: The LORD, the God of hosts by name.