Amos 6

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

The prophet addresses the complacent leaders in Zion and Mount Samaria, comparing their territory to other kingdoms like Calneh, Hamath, and Gath. He condemns their luxurious lifestyle, which includes lying on ivory beds, eating choice lambs and calves, composing music, drinking wine from bowls, and using fine oils while ignoring the ruin of Joseph. Because of this pride and disregard, God declares through an oath that these elite citizens will be the first to go into exile, ending their feasting and lounging. The Lord states He abhors Jacob's pride and will deliver up the city, resulting in widespread death where even remaining household members and relatives handling bodies must observe silence. Finally, the Lord announces that He will raise up a nation to oppress the house of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah, smashing both large and small houses to pieces.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹Woe to those at ease in Zion and those secure on Mount Samaria, the distinguished ones of the foremost nation, to whom the house of Israel comes. ²Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to the great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours? ³You dismiss the day of calamity and bring near a reign of violence. ⁴You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge upon your couches. You dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall. ⁵You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments. ⁶You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph. ⁷Therefore, you will now go into exile as the first of the captives, and your feasting and lounging will come to an end. ⁸The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself—the LORD, the God of Hosts, has declared: “I abhor Jacob’s pride and detest his citadels, so I will deliver up the city and everything in it.” ⁹And if there are ten men left in one house, they too will die. ¹⁰And when the relative who is to burn the bodies picks them up to remove them from the house, he will call to one inside, “Is anyone else with you?” “None,” that person will answer. “Silence,” the relative will retort, “for the name of the LORD must not be invoked.” ¹¹For the LORD gives a command: “The great house will be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble.” ¹²“Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood— ¹³you who rejoice in Lo-debar and say, ‘Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?’ ¹⁴For behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD, the God of Hosts, “and they will oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.”