Amos 6
6
The Party Is Over
1Woe to you living so comfortably in Zion!
Woe to you who live with a false sense of security on Mount Samaria,
the elite of this foremost nation,
on whom Israel’s people pin their hopes.
2Travel to the city of Calneh # 6:2 Calneh was a city founded by Nimrod.
and see for yourself what happened.
Then go on from there to Hamath,
the great capital city of the Hittites.
Make your way down to Gath in Philistia,
and ask yourself—
are you better than these kingdoms?
Is their territory larger than yours? # 6:2 Or “Is your territory larger than theirs?”
3You refuse to consider the day when disaster will come,
yet all your evil only brings that day closer. # 6:3 Or “you bring near a seat [throne] of violence,” which could mean something like “you are bringing nearer the time when violent men will reign.”
4Lying on luxurious beds inlaid with ivory
and sprawled out on your couches, # 6:4 The custom of eating while lying down on couches is mentioned here for the first time. By the time of the New Testament, it had become a more general custom. Jewish commentators view “sprawled out on your couches” as a euphemism for lewd behavior and revelry (see Rashi, Malbim).
you feast on lambs from the flock
and stall-fattened veal.
5You compose songs # 6:5 Or “invent musical instruments.” The Hebrew is ambiguous. like David
and strum away on your harps.
6You guzzle wine by the bucketful,
and slather yourselves with the finest lotions.
Yet you do not grieve # 6:6 The Hebrew root word for “grieve” is chalah, which is “to be sick.” They were not heartsick about or grieved over the collapse of their kingdom. over
Israel’s impending doom. # 6:6 Or “over the ruin of Joseph,” a figure of speech for the kingdom of Israel. Despite the impending disaster, the self-centered, self-indulgent leaders remained unconcerned about the invasion soon to come upon their land.
7That is why they will be the first
to go into captivity.
Their lying around while enjoying the good life
will come to an end.
God Hates Pride
8Lord Yahweh has sworn by his own being # 6:8 See Gen. 22:16–17; Heb. 6:13. —
Yahweh, God of Angel Armies, declares:
“I hate the pride of the people of Jacob,
and I despise their strongholds, # 6:8 Or “palaces.”
I will hand over their capital city # 6:8 That is, the city of Samaria. to their enemies
and everything in it.”
9Even if there are ten hiding in a house,
they will all die.
10If a relative who is to light a memorial fire for the dead
comes to carry the bodies out of the house for burial
and asks, “Is anyone else inside the house with you?”
and that person answers, “No,” then the one who asked will say, “Quiet!
We must not mention the name of Yahweh.”
Yahweh’s Punishment
11Behold, Yahweh strikes with his command:
“Houses large and small will be smashed to pieces!” # 6:11 Or “The great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits.” The Jewish Targum regards the “great house” as the kingdom of Israel and the “little house” as the kingdom of Judah.
12Can horses gallop over rocky cliffs?
Can boulder-strewn hills be plowed with oxen?
Of course not!
Yet you have managed to pervert justice into poison
and the sweet fruits of righteousness into bitter fruit. # 6:12 Or “into wormwood.”
13You rejoice over conquering the city of Lo Debar,
saying, “Wasn’t it by our own strength
that we captured Karnaim for ourselves?” # 6:13 The biting sarcasm of this verse is apparent in the Hebrew, which can be translated, “You rejoice over a no-thing [loʾ dabar] and say, ‘By our own strength we captured horns [Hb. qarnayim; horns are a symbol of strength].’ ”
14But look, house of Israel,
Yahweh, God of Angel Armies, declares to you:
“I will raise up a mighty nation to come against you, # 6:14 That is, Assyria.
and they will oppress you and overrun your land
from the northern to the southern borders of your kingdom.” # 6:14 Or “from Lebo Hamath [Israel’s northern border] to the brook of the Arabah [Israel’s southern border near the Dead Sea].”
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Amos 6: TPT
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