Against Social Injustice
Chapter 4
1Hear this word, you cows of Bashan
On the hill of Samaria—
Who defraud the poor,
Who rob the needy;
Who say to your husbands,
“Bring, and let’s carouse!”
2My Lord God swears by His holiness:
Behold, days are coming upon you
When you will be carried off in baskets,
And, to the last one, in fish baskets,
3And taken out [of the city]—
Each one through a breach straight ahead—
And flung on the refuse heap
—declares the Lord. [ . . . ]
Chapter 5
10They hate the arbiter in the gate,
And detest him whose plea is just.
11Assuredly,
Because you impose a tax on the poor
And exact from him a levy of grain,
You have built houses of hewn stone,
But you shall not live in them;
You have planted delightful vineyards,
But shall not drink their wine.
12For I have noted how many are your crimes,
And how countless your sins—
You enemies of the righteous,
You takers of bribes,
You who subvert in the gate
The cause of the needy!
13Assuredly,
At such a time the prudent man keeps silent,
For it is an evil time.
14Seek good and not evil,
That you may live,
And that the Lord, the God of Hosts,
May truly be with you,
As you think.
15Hate evil and love good,
And establish justice in the gate;
Perhaps the Lord, the God of Hosts,
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. [ . . . ]
21I loathe, I spurn your festivals,
I am not appeased by your solemn assemblies.
22If you offer Me burnt offerings—or your meal offerings—
I will not accept them;
I will pay no heed
To your gifts of fatlings.
23Spare Me the sound of your hymns,
And let Me not hear the music of your lutes.
24But let justice well up like water,
Righteousness like an unfailing stream.
We’re sorry. The Posen Library’s licensing agreements prevent this text from being printed or downloaded.
Credits
Reprinted from Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures by permission of the University of Nebraska Press. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 1.
You may also like
Condemning Neighboring Nations, Judah, and Israel
Amos 1–2 (selections)
The words of Amos, a sheepbreeder from Tekoa, who prophesied concerning Israel in the reigns of Kings Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake.…
Cause and Effect: When God Warns, the Prophet Is Compelled to Deliver the Warning
Amos 3:1–8
Hear this word, O people of Israel,
That the Lord has spoken concerning you,
Concerning the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:
You alone have I singled out
Of all the families…
Symbolic Visions and a Confrontation between Amos and a Priest
Amos 7
The biblical prophet has a vision and foretells that God will no longer pardon Israel for her iniquities.
The Remnant of Israel Will Be Restored
Amos 9:7–15
To Me, O Israelites, you are
Just like the Ethiopians
—declares the Lord.
True, I brought Israel up
From the land of Egypt,
But also the Philistines from Caphtor
And the Arameans from Kir.
Behold…
Edom Will Be Destroyed
Obadiah 1 (selections)
The prophecy of Obadiah.
We have received tidings from the Lord,
And an envoy has been sent out among the nations:
“Up! Let us rise up against her for battle.”
Thus said my Lord God concerning…
Arad Letter (Military Orders)
Arad letter (Military Orders). The letter, from the latter days of the Judean monarchy, refers to sending reinforcements to a town in the Negev, “Lest Edom should enter there.” It illustrates the…
You may also like
Condemning Neighboring Nations, Judah, and Israel
Amos 1–2 (selections)
The words of Amos, a sheepbreeder from Tekoa, who prophesied concerning Israel in the reigns of Kings Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake.…
Cause and Effect: When God Warns, the Prophet Is Compelled to Deliver the Warning
Amos 3:1–8
Hear this word, O people of Israel,
That the Lord has spoken concerning you,
Concerning the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:
You alone have I singled out
Of all the families…
Symbolic Visions and a Confrontation between Amos and a Priest
Amos 7
The biblical prophet has a vision and foretells that God will no longer pardon Israel for her iniquities.
The Remnant of Israel Will Be Restored
Amos 9:7–15
To Me, O Israelites, you are
Just like the Ethiopians
—declares the Lord.
True, I brought Israel up
From the land of Egypt,
But also the Philistines from Caphtor
And the Arameans from Kir.
Behold…
Edom Will Be Destroyed
Obadiah 1 (selections)
The prophecy of Obadiah.
We have received tidings from the Lord,
And an envoy has been sent out among the nations:
“Up! Let us rise up against her for battle.”
Thus said my Lord God concerning…
Arad Letter (Military Orders)
Arad letter (Military Orders). The letter, from the latter days of the Judean monarchy, refers to sending reinforcements to a town in the Negev, “Lest Edom should enter there.” It illustrates the…