King James Bible

New International Version

Woe to the Complacent in Zion

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

1

Woe to the Complacent

Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,
and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
you notable men of the foremost nation,
to whom the people of Israel come!

2

Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

2

Go to Kalneh and look at it;
go from there to great Hamath,
and then go down to Gath in Philistia.
Are they better off than your two kingdoms?
Is their land larger than yours?

3

Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

3

You put off the day of disaster
and bring near a reign of terror.

4

That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

4

You lie on beds adorned with ivory
and lounge on your couches.
You dine on choice lambs
and fattened calves.

5

That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

5

You strum away on your harps like David
and improvise on musical instruments.

6

That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

6

You drink wine by the bowlful
and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.

7

Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

7

Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;
your feasting and lounging will end.

8

The Pride of Israel

The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

8

The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel

The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself — the Lord God Almighty declares:
“I abhor the pride of Jacob
and detest his fortresses;
I will deliver up the city
and everything in it.”

9

And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.

9

If ten people are left in one house, they too will die.

10

And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.

10

And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn thema asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

11

For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

11

For the Lord has given the command,
and he will smash the great house into pieces
and the small house into bits.

12

Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

12

Do horses run on the rocky crags?
Does one plow the seab with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison
and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness —

13

Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

13

you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debarc
and say, “Did we not take Karnaimd by our own strength?”

14

But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.

14

For the Lord God Almighty declares,
“I will stir up a nation against you, Israel,
that will oppress you all the way
from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.”

Parallel

King James Bible

New International Version

Amos 6

Amos 6