WEBVTT 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.700 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.700 --> 00:00:08.740 in a year. Today, we're starting the book of 00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:11.480 Amos the prophet, and we're starting with chapters 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:16.600 1 through 5. Chapter 1. The words of Amos, who 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:19.460 was among the sheep breeders of Tekua, which 00:00:19.460 --> 00:00:21.820 he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah, 00:00:21.899 --> 00:00:24.859 king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the 00:00:24.859 --> 00:00:27.699 son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before 00:00:27.699 --> 00:00:30.839 the earthquake. And he said, The Lord roars from 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:33.659 Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem. The 00:00:33.659 --> 00:00:36.100 pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:39.700 of Carmel withers. Thus says the Lord, For three 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:42.479 transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:44.979 not turn away its punishment, because they have 00:00:44.979 --> 00:00:47.880 threshed Gilead with implements of iron. But 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:50.740 I will send a fire into the house of Hazel, which 00:00:50.740 --> 00:00:53.899 shall devour the palaces of Ben -Hadad. I will 00:00:53.899 --> 00:00:56.560 also break the gate bar of Damascus, and cut 00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:59.820 off the inhabitant from the valley of Avin, and 00:00:59.820 --> 00:01:02.280 the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden. 00:01:02.659 --> 00:01:05.159 The people of Syria shall go captive to care, 00:01:05.299 --> 00:01:07.900 says the Lord. Thus says the Lord, for three 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:10.319 transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:12.680 not turn away its punishment, because they took 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:15.299 captive the whole captivity to deliver them up 00:01:15.299 --> 00:01:18.060 to Edom. But I will send a fire upon the wall 00:01:18.060 --> 00:01:21.310 of Gaza, which shall devour its palaces. I will 00:01:21.310 --> 00:01:24.349 cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and the one 00:01:24.349 --> 00:01:27.129 who holds the scepter from Ashkelon. I will turn 00:01:27.129 --> 00:01:29.870 my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the 00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:32.569 Philistines shall perish, says the Lord God. 00:01:33.150 --> 00:01:35.730 Thus says the Lord, For three transgressions 00:01:35.730 --> 00:01:38.290 of Tyre, and for four I will not turn away its 00:01:38.290 --> 00:01:40.349 punishment, because they delivered up the whole 00:01:40.349 --> 00:01:43.370 captivity to Edom. and did not remember the covenant 00:01:43.370 --> 00:01:46.010 of brotherhood, but I will send a fire upon the 00:01:46.010 --> 00:01:48.469 wall of Tyre, which shall devour its palaces. 00:01:48.849 --> 00:01:51.469 Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions 00:01:51.469 --> 00:01:54.489 of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its 00:01:54.489 --> 00:01:57.150 punishment, because he pursued his brother with 00:01:57.150 --> 00:02:00.650 the sword, and cast off all pity. His anger tore 00:02:00.650 --> 00:02:03.769 perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever, but 00:02:03.769 --> 00:02:06.530 I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour 00:02:06.530 --> 00:02:10.210 the palaces of Bozrah. Thus says the Lord. for 00:02:10.210 --> 00:02:12.150 three transgressions of the people of Ammon, 00:02:12.250 --> 00:02:15.050 and for four I will not turn away its punishment, 00:02:15.270 --> 00:02:17.750 because they ripped open the women with child 00:02:17.750 --> 00:02:20.729 in Gilead, that they might enlarge their territory. 00:02:20.810 --> 00:02:23.729 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, 00:02:23.830 --> 00:02:26.810 and it shall devour its palaces, amid shouting 00:02:26.810 --> 00:02:29.449 in the day of battle, and a tempest in the day 00:02:29.449 --> 00:02:32.430 of the whirlwind. Their king shall go into captivity, 00:02:32.770 --> 00:02:37.210 he and his princes together, says the Lord. Chapter 00:02:37.210 --> 00:02:40.689 2 Thus says the Lord. For three transgressions 00:02:40.689 --> 00:02:43.569 of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away its 00:02:43.569 --> 00:02:46.050 punishment, because he burned the bones of the 00:02:46.050 --> 00:02:48.909 king of Edom to lime. But I will send a fire 00:02:48.909 --> 00:02:51.990 upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of 00:02:51.990 --> 00:02:55.389 Kiriath. Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting 00:02:55.389 --> 00:02:57.849 and trumpet sound, and I will cut off the judge 00:02:57.849 --> 00:03:00.969 from its midst, and slay all its princes with 00:03:00.969 --> 00:03:04.509 him, says the Lord. Thus says the Lord, for three 00:03:04.509 --> 00:03:07.110 transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will 00:03:07.110 --> 00:03:09.280 not turn away its punishment, because they have 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.879 despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:14.680 his commandments. Their lies led them astray, 00:03:14.819 --> 00:03:17.400 lies which their fathers followed. But I will 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:19.919 send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:23.319 palaces of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord, for 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:25.560 three transgressions of Israel and for four, 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:28.120 I will not turn away its punishment, because 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:30.419 they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor 00:03:30.419 --> 00:03:33.479 for a pair of sandals. They pant after the dust 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:35.800 of the earth, which is on the head of the poor, 00:03:35.939 --> 00:03:38.729 and pervert the way of the humble. A man and 00:03:38.729 --> 00:03:41.610 his father go into the same girl to defile my 00:03:41.610 --> 00:03:44.689 holy name. They lie down by every altar on cloth 00:03:44.689 --> 00:03:47.710 taken in pledge, and drink the wine of the condemned 00:03:47.710 --> 00:03:51.090 in the house of their God. Yet it was I who destroyed 00:03:51.090 --> 00:03:53.469 the Amorite before them, whose height was like 00:03:53.469 --> 00:03:55.870 the height of the cedars, and he was as strong 00:03:55.870 --> 00:03:58.449 as the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit above 00:03:58.449 --> 00:04:01.550 and his roots beneath. Also it was I who brought 00:04:01.550 --> 00:04:04.189 you up from the land of Egypt and led you forty 00:04:04.189 --> 00:04:06.789 years through the wilderness to possess the land 00:04:06.789 --> 00:04:09.210 of the Amorite. I raised up some of your sons 00:04:09.210 --> 00:04:12.370 as prophets and some of your young men as Nazarites. 00:04:12.490 --> 00:04:15.229 Is it not so, O you children of Israel? says 00:04:15.229 --> 00:04:17.850 the Lord. But you gave the Nazarites wine to 00:04:17.850 --> 00:04:20.149 drink and commanded the prophets, saying, Do 00:04:20.149 --> 00:04:23.290 not prophesy. Behold, I am weighed down by you, 00:04:23.370 --> 00:04:26.540 as a cart full of sheaves is weighed down. Therefore 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:29.379 flight shall perish from the swift, the strong 00:04:29.379 --> 00:04:32.139 shall not strengthen his power, nor shall the 00:04:32.139 --> 00:04:34.819 mighty deliver himself. He shall not stand who 00:04:34.819 --> 00:04:37.560 handles the bow, the swift of foot shall not 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:40.319 escape, nor shall he who rides a horse deliver 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.600 himself. The most courageous men of might shall 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:47.980 flee naked in that day, says the Lord. Chapter 00:04:47.980 --> 00:04:51.259 3 Hear this, that the Lord has spoken against 00:04:51.259 --> 00:04:53.529 you, O children of Israel. against the whole 00:04:53.529 --> 00:04:55.910 family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, 00:04:56.069 --> 00:04:59.189 saying, You only have I known of all the families 00:04:59.189 --> 00:05:01.449 of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for 00:05:01.449 --> 00:05:04.350 all your iniquities. Can two walk together unless 00:05:04.350 --> 00:05:07.189 they are agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest 00:05:07.189 --> 00:05:10.329 when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out 00:05:10.329 --> 00:05:13.189 of his den if he has caught nothing? Will a bird 00:05:13.189 --> 00:05:15.589 fall into a snare on the earth where there is 00:05:15.589 --> 00:05:18.610 no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the 00:05:18.610 --> 00:05:21.660 earth if it has caught nothing at all? If a trumpet 00:05:21.660 --> 00:05:24.240 is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:27.240 If there is calamity in a city, will not the 00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:30.180 Lord have done it? Surely the Lord God does nothing 00:05:30.180 --> 00:05:32.620 unless he reveals his secret to his servants, 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:35.839 the prophets. A lion has roared, who will not 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:39.720 fear? The Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy? 00:05:40.500 --> 00:05:43.160 Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the 00:05:43.160 --> 00:05:45.959 palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:48.680 on the mountains of Samaria. See great tumults 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:51.500 in her midst, and the oppressed within her. For 00:05:51.500 --> 00:05:53.759 they do not know to do right, says the Lord, 00:05:53.939 --> 00:05:56.939 who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. 00:05:57.240 --> 00:06:00.139 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, an adversary 00:06:00.139 --> 00:06:02.959 shall be all around the land. He shall sap your 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:05.500 strength from you, and your palaces shall be 00:06:05.500 --> 00:06:08.240 plundered. Thus says the Lord, as a shepherd 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:11.180 takes from the mouth of a lion two legs or a 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:13.699 piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel 00:06:13.699 --> 00:06:31.579 be taken out who dwell in Samaria. Chapter 4 00:06:45.850 --> 00:06:48.930 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on 00:06:48.930 --> 00:06:51.269 the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, 00:06:51.449 --> 00:06:53.870 who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, 00:06:54.089 --> 00:06:57.430 Bring wine, let us drink. The Lord God has sworn 00:06:57.430 --> 00:07:00.430 by His holiness, Behold, the days shall come 00:07:00.430 --> 00:07:03.569 upon you, when He will take you away with fishhooks, 00:07:03.569 --> 00:07:06.610 and your posterity with fishhooks. You will go 00:07:06.610 --> 00:07:09.470 out through broken walls, each one straight ahead 00:07:09.470 --> 00:07:12.410 of her, and you will be cast into Harmon, says 00:07:12.410 --> 00:07:15.970 the Lord. Come to Bethel and transgress. At Gilgal, 00:07:16.110 --> 00:07:18.730 multiply transgression. Bring your sacrifices 00:07:18.730 --> 00:07:22.569 every morning, your tithe every three days. Offer 00:07:22.569 --> 00:07:25.069 a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven. Proclaim 00:07:25.069 --> 00:07:28.009 and announce the freewill offerings. For this 00:07:28.009 --> 00:07:30.629 you love, you children of Israel, says the Lord 00:07:30.629 --> 00:07:34.009 God. Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all 00:07:34.009 --> 00:07:37.110 your cities, and lack of bread in all your places. 00:07:37.449 --> 00:07:40.110 Yet you have not returned to me, says the Lord. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:43.100 I also withheld rain from you. When there was 00:07:43.100 --> 00:07:45.480 still three months to the harvest, I made it 00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:48.259 rain on one city. I withheld rain from another 00:07:48.259 --> 00:07:51.120 city. One part was rained upon, and where it 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:53.680 did not rain, the part withered. So two or three 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:56.600 cities wandered to another city to drink water, 00:07:56.680 --> 00:07:59.259 but they were not satisfied. Yet you have not 00:07:59.259 --> 00:08:02.600 returned to me, says the Lord. I blasted you 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:05.060 with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, 00:08:05.420 --> 00:08:07.759 your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.540 trees, the locusts devoured them. Yet you have 00:08:10.540 --> 00:08:13.500 not returned to me, says the Lord. I sent among 00:08:13.500 --> 00:08:15.800 you a plague after the manner of Egypt. Your 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:18.519 young men I killed with a sword, along with your 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:21.240 captive horses. I made the stench of your camps 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:23.860 come up into your nostrils. Yet you have not 00:08:23.860 --> 00:08:27.000 returned to me, says the Lord. I overthrew some 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.600 of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:32.139 and you were like a firebrand plucked from the 00:08:32.139 --> 00:08:34.580 burning. Yet you have not returned to me, says 00:08:34.580 --> 00:08:37.419 the Lord. Therefore thus will I do to you, O 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:39.850 Israel, because I will do this to you. Prepare 00:08:39.850 --> 00:08:43.250 to meet your God, O Israel. For behold, he who 00:08:43.250 --> 00:08:46.250 forms mountains and creates the wind, who declares 00:08:46.250 --> 00:08:48.909 to man what his thought is and makes the morning 00:08:48.909 --> 00:08:51.549 darkness, who treads the high places of the earth, 00:08:51.710 --> 00:08:56.230 the Lord God of hosts is his name. Chapter 5 00:08:56.230 --> 00:08:59.450 Hear this word which I take up against you, O 00:08:59.450 --> 00:09:02.230 lamentation, O house of Israel. The virgin of 00:09:02.230 --> 00:09:04.929 Israel has fallen. She will rise no more. She 00:09:04.929 --> 00:09:08.049 lies forsaken on her land. There is no one to 00:09:08.049 --> 00:09:10.779 raise her up. For thus says the Lord God, The 00:09:10.779 --> 00:09:13.360 city that goes out by a thousand shall have a 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:16.299 hundred left, and that which goes out by a hundred 00:09:16.299 --> 00:09:19.279 shall have ten left to the house of Israel. For 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:21.899 thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, Seek 00:09:21.899 --> 00:09:24.899 me and live, but do not seek Bethel, nor enter 00:09:24.899 --> 00:09:28.159 Gilgal, nor pass over to Beersheba. For Gilgal 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:31.159 shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:34.220 come to nothing. Seek the Lord and live, lest 00:09:34.220 --> 00:09:36.360 he break out like fire in the house of Joseph 00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:39.269 and devour it. with no one to quench it in Bethel, 00:09:39.350 --> 00:09:42.129 you who turn justice to wormwood and lay righteousness 00:09:42.129 --> 00:09:45.149 to rest in the earth. He made the Pleiades and 00:09:45.149 --> 00:09:47.990 Orion, he turns the shadow of death into morning, 00:09:48.190 --> 00:09:51.350 and makes the dark day as night. He calls for 00:09:51.350 --> 00:09:53.889 the waters of the sea, and pours them out on 00:09:53.889 --> 00:09:56.250 the face of the earth. The Lord is his name. 00:09:56.429 --> 00:09:59.549 He rains ruin upon the strong, so that fury comes 00:09:59.549 --> 00:10:02.909 upon the fortress. They hate the one who rebukes 00:10:02.909 --> 00:10:05.070 in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks 00:10:05.070 --> 00:10:07.659 uprightly. therefore because you tread down the 00:10:07.659 --> 00:10:10.419 poor and take grain taxes from him though you 00:10:10.419 --> 00:10:13.259 have built houses of hewn stone yet you shall 00:10:13.259 --> 00:10:16.080 not dwell in them you have planted pleasant vineyards 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:18.940 but you shall not drink wine from them for i 00:10:18.940 --> 00:10:21.320 know your manifold transgressions and your mighty 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:24.879 sins afflicting the just and taking bribes diverting 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:27.320 the poor from justice at the gate therefore the 00:10:27.320 --> 00:10:30.559 prudent keep silent at that time for it is an 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:33.659 evil time seek good and not evil that you may 00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:36.429 live So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, 00:10:36.470 --> 00:10:40.450 as you have spoken, hate evil, love good. Establish 00:10:40.450 --> 00:10:43.409 justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord 00:10:43.409 --> 00:10:45.830 God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant 00:10:45.830 --> 00:10:48.970 of Joseph. Therefore the Lord God of hosts, the 00:10:48.970 --> 00:10:52.210 Lord, says this, There shall be wailing in all 00:10:52.210 --> 00:10:54.649 streets, and they shall say in all the highways, 00:10:54.929 --> 00:10:57.870 Alas, alas! They shall call the farmer to mourning, 00:10:58.009 --> 00:11:01.220 and skillful lamenters to wailing. In all vineyards 00:11:01.220 --> 00:11:03.679 there shall be wailing, for I will pass through 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:06.360 you, says the Lord. Woe to you who desire the 00:11:06.360 --> 00:11:08.620 day of the Lord! For what good is the day of 00:11:08.620 --> 00:11:10.919 the Lord to you? It will be darkness and not 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:13.539 light. It will be as though a man fled from a 00:11:13.539 --> 00:11:16.200 lion, and a bear met him, or as though he went 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:18.639 into the house, leaned his hand on the wall, 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:21.200 and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.460 Lord darkness and not light? Is it not very dark, 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:27.779 with no brightness in it? I hate, I despise your 00:11:27.779 --> 00:11:30.779 feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. 00:11:30.899 --> 00:11:33.039 Though you offer me burnt offerings and your 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:35.960 grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:38.159 will I regard your fattened peace offerings. 00:11:38.419 --> 00:11:40.740 Take away from me the noise of your songs, for 00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:42.960 I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. 00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:46.080 But let justice run down like water, and righteousness 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:48.779 like a mighty stream. Did you offer me sacrifices 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:50.899 and offerings in the wilderness forty years, 00:11:51.039 --> 00:12:11.919 O house of Israel? I hope you enjoyed today's 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:14.120 reading as much as I did, and I look forward 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:16.179 to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our 00:12:16.179 --> 00:12:18.279 journey. God bless you and have a great day.