The Bible — World English Bible
Amos 4
In brief
Amos 4 is an indictment of Israel in the eighth century before Jesus Christ. The prophet denounces the injustice of the rich of Samaria who oppress the poor, then worship that is very zealous but heartless. God then recalls the warnings he sent (famine, drought, plagues, destruction), each followed by the same refrain: you did not return to me. The chapter ends with a solemn summons: Israel must prepare to meet its God, the creator of all things.
The chapter in 4 parts
1Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, “Bring us drinks!”
2The Lord Yahweh has sworn by his holiness that behold, “The days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.
3You will go out at the breaks in the wall, everyone straight before her; and you will cast yourselves into Harmon,” says Yahweh.
4“Go to Bethel, and sin; to Gilgal, and sin more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days,
5offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim free will offerings and brag about them: for this pleases you, you children of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.
6“I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
7“I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One place was rained on, and the piece where it didn’t rain withered.
8So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water, and were not satisfied: yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
9“I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards; and the swarming locusts have devoured your fig trees and your olive trees; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
10“I sent plagues among you like I did Egypt. I have slain your young men with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
11“I have overthrown some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning stick plucked out of the fire; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
12“Therefore thus I will do to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel.
13For, behold, he who forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought; who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth: Yahweh, the God of Armies, is his name.”
Key verses
Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, “Bring us drinks!”
Amos addresses the well-off women of Samaria who oppress the poor and keep demanding more. God sees social injustice and takes it seriously.
“Go to Bethel, and sin; to Gilgal, and sin more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days, offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim free will offerings and brag about them: for this pleases you, you children of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.
God mocks a people who multiply sacrifices and offerings while living without justice. Religious enthusiasm is no substitute for a heart turned toward him.
“I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
This verse opens the refrain: famine, drought and plagues are warnings, and yet the people did not return to God. It shows a God who seeks to bring back rather than to destroy.
“Therefore thus I will do to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel.
Prepare to meet your God: a solemn summons that applies first to Israel. Preachers take it up to speak about the shortness of life and the return of the Lord.
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Frequently asked questions about Amos 4
What does Amos 4:12 mean: prepare to meet your God?
In its context, it is a summons addressed to Israel, which refused to return to God despite his warnings: it must stand before him. Christians draw from it a call not to put off turning to God, because everyone will meet him one day.
What does you did not return to me mean in Amos 4?
It is the refrain that comes back after each warning: famine, drought, crop diseases, plagues, destruction. God reminds them that he sent these signs to bring his people back, and that they did not change their hearts. The text reveals a God who seeks to awaken before he judges.
Who are the cows of Bashan in Amos 4:1?
Amos uses this image for the well-off women of Samaria. Bashan was known for its rich pastures. The prophet blames them for oppressing the weak and crushing the poor while demanding ever more pleasures. It is a denunciation of social injustice, not of wealth itself.
Articles quoting Amos 4
- Psalm 90: Making Every Day Count in Your Life
- Luke 23: What Kind of Encounter Are You Having with Jesus?
- The Church as Christ's Bride: What Jewish Marriage Reveals
- Bethesda: Jesus Knows Your 38 Years of Suffering
- What Comfort Is There in the Face of Death? (Psalm 90)
- Psalm 90: Comfort When You Think About Your Own Death
World English Bible translation — public domain.