The bestof them is like a briar,The most uprightlike a thornhedge.The daywhen you post your watchmen,Your punishmentwill come.Thentheir confusionwill occur.
Now whatwill you doin the dayof punishment,And in the devastationwhich will comefrom afar?To whomwill you fleefor help?And wherewill you leaveyour wealth?
For the LordGODof hostshas a dayof panic,subjugationand confusionIn the valleyof vision,A breakingdownof wallsAnd a cryingto the mountain.
"Insteadof the thornbushthe cypresswill comeup, And insteadof the nettlethe myrtlewill comeup, And it will be a memorialto the LORD,For an everlastingsignwhich will not be cutoff."
They are worthless,a workof mockery;In the timeof their punishmentthey will perish.
and a remnantwill not be leftto them, for I will bringdisasteron the menof Anathoth--the yearof their punishment."
"Alsoher mercenariesin her midstAre like fattenedcalves,For eventhey toohave turnedback[and] have fledaway together;They did not stand[their ground]. For the dayof their calamityhas comeupon them, The timeof their punishment.
"Were they ashamedbecauseof the abominationthey had done?They certainlywere not ashamed,And they did not knowhow to blush;Thereforethey shall fallamong those who fall;At the timeof their punishmentthey shall be broughtdown,"Saysthe LORD.
"And you, sonof man,neitherfearthem norfeartheir words,thoughthistlesand thornsare with you and you siton scorpions;neitherfeartheir wordsnorbe dismayedat their presence,for they are a rebellioushouse.
"And there will be nomorefor the houseof Israela pricklingbrieror a painfulthornfrom anyroundaboutthem who scornedthem; then they will knowthat I am the LordGOD."
He said,"Whatdo you see,Amos?"And I said,"A basketof summerfruit."Then the LORDsaidto me, "The endhas comefor My peopleIsrael.I will sparethem nolonger.
Liketangledthorns,And like those who are drunkenwith their drink,They are consumedAs stubblecompletelywithered.
"There will be signsin sunand moonand stars,and on the earthdismayamong nations,in perplexityat the roaringof the seaand the waves,
but if it yieldsthornsand thistles,it is worthlessand closeto being cursed,and it endsup being burned.
