Amos Chapter 4 – Israel's Refusal to Repent
Famine, drought, and plague all failed to turn Israel back to God.
Following the warning of Amos 3, this chapter addresses the pampered women of Samaria compared to "kine of Bashan" and exposes the hollow ritualism of sacrifices offered at Bethel and Gilgal while injustice went unchecked.
Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, that oppress the poor, that crush the needy, that say unto their lords: 'Bring, that we may feast.'
The L-rd GOD hath sworn by His holiness: Lo, surely the days shall come upon you, that ye shall be taken away with hooks, and your residue with fish-hooks.
And ye shall go out at the breaches, every one straight before her; and ye shall be cast into Harmon, saith HaShem.
Come to Beth-el, and transgress, to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices in the morning, and your tithes after three days;
And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill-offerings and publish them; for so ye love to do, O ye children of Israel, saith the L-rd GOD.
And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith HaShem.
And I also have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
So two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water, and were not satisfied; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith HaShem.
I have smitten you with blasting and mildew; the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees hath the palmer-worm devoured; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith HaShem.
I have sent among you the pestilence in the way of Egypt; your young men have I slain with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I have made the stench of your camp to come up even into your nostrils; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith HaShem.
I have overthrown some of you, as G-d overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith HaShem.
Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel; because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy G-d, O Israel.
For, lo, He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth; HaShem, the G-d of hosts, is His name.