The women of Samaria

The LORD said:

1You women of Samaria

are fat cows!4.1 fat cows: The Hebrew text has “cows of Bashan”, a fertile plain famous for its rich pastures and well-fed cattle.

You ill-treat and abuse

the poor and needy,

then you say to your husbands,

“Bring us more drinks!”

2I, the LORD God, have sworn

by my own name

that your time is coming.

Not one of you will be left—

you will be taken away

by sharp hooks.4.2 taken…hooks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

3You will be dragged through holes

in your city walls,

and you will be thrown

towards Harmon.4.3 Harmon: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation “Mount Hermon”, a mountain in the north of Palestine, on the way to Assyria.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

Israel refuses to obey

The LORD said:

4Come to Bethel and Gilgal.4.4 Bethel and Gilgal: These were two of the most important centres of worship in northern Israel. Amos mentions these together again in 5.5.

Sin all you want!

Offer sacrifices the next morning

and bring a tenth of your crops

on the third day.4.4 Offer…day: Or “Offer sacrifices each morning and bring a tenth of your crops every three days.” In verses 4,5 God is condemning the people for meaningless acts of worship.

5Bring offerings to show me

how thankful you are.

Gladly bring more offerings

than I have demanded.

You really love to do this.

I, the LORD God, have spoken!

How the LORD warned Israel

6I, the LORD, took away the food

from every town and village,

but still you rejected me.

7Three months before harvest,

I kept back the rain.

Sometimes I would let it fall

on one town or field

but not on another,

and pastures dried up.

8People from two or three towns

would go to a town

that still had water,

but it wasn't enough.

Even then you rejected me.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

9I dried up your grain fields;

your gardens and vineyards

turned brown.

Locusts4.9 Locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to plant life. ate your fig trees

and olive orchards,

but even then you rejected me.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

10I did terrible things to you,

just as I did to Egypt—

I killed your young men in war;

I let your horses be stolen,

and I made your camp stink

with dead bodies.

Even then you rejected me.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

11I destroyed many of you,4.11: Gn 19.24.

just as I did the cities

of Sodom and Gomorrah.

You were a burning stick

I rescued from the fire.

Even then you rejected me.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

12Now, Israel, I myself

will deal with you.

Get ready to face your God!

13I created the mountains

and the wind.

I let humans know

what I am thinking.4.13 I let…thinking: Or “No one's secret thoughts are hidden from me.”

I bring darkness at dawn

and step over hills.

I am the LORD God All-Powerful!