Our text this morning is found in the Prophet Amos, Chapter 6,

verses 1 through 8, and then Chapter 8,

versus 4 through 8.

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who feel secure on the mountain of

Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations to whom the House of Israel come, pass over to Kallna and

see, and then scot ahemath, the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory

greater than your territory? O you who put far away the evil day and bring near the seat of

violence, woe to those who lie upon the evil day and bring near the seat of violence.

Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches

and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the song and who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.

Therefore, they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away.

The Lord God has sworn by himself, says the Lord, the God of hosts, I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his

strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.

Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end saying,

when will the new moon be over that we may sell grain

and the Sabbath that we may offer wheat for sale,

that we may make the Ephas small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false

balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell

the refuse of the wheat. The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob.

Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.

Shall not the land tremble on this account? And everyone mourn who

dwells in it and all of it rise like the Nile and be tossed about and sink again like

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