1 W oe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those on the mountain of Samaria who are careless and feel secure, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes!

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

2 P ass over to Calneh and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or are their boundaries greater than your boundaries,

Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

3 O you who put far away the evil day, yet cause the sitting of violence to come near?

Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

4 W oe to those who lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall,

That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

5 W ho sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and invent for themselves instruments of music like David’s,

That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

6 W ho drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved and sick at heart over the affliction and ruin of Joseph (Israel)!

That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

7 T herefore now shall they go captive with the first who go into exile, and the revelry and banqueting of those who stretch themselves shall be ended.

Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

8 T he Lord God has sworn by Himself—the Lord, the God of hosts, says: I abhor, reject, and despise the pride and false, futile glory of Jacob (Israel), and I hate his palaces and strongholds; and I will deliver up the city with all that is in it.

The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

9 A nd it shall come to pass that if there remain ten men in one house, they shall die.

And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.

10 A nd then a man’s uncle or kinsman, he who is to make a burning to cremate and dispose, comes in to bring the bones out of the house, and he shall say to another still alive in the farthest parts of the house, Is there anyone else with you? and he shall say, No. Then shall the newcomer say, Hush! Hold your tongue! We dare not so mention the name of the Lord.

And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.

11 F or behold, the Lord commands and He will smite the great house into ruins and the little house into fragments.

For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

12 D o horses run upon rocks? Do men plow the ocean with oxen? But you have turned justice into gall and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—

Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

13 Y ou who rejoice in Lo-debar, who say, Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim or horns for ourselves?

Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

14 F or behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, says the Lord, the God of hosts; and they shall afflict and oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah.

But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.