阿摩司書7:1-9

7:1 主耶和華指示我一件事：為王割菜（或譯：草）之後，菜又發生；剛發生的時候，主造蝗蟲。

7:2 蝗蟲吃盡那地的青物，我就說：「主耶和華啊，求你赦免；因為雅各微弱，他怎能站立得住呢？」

7:3 耶和華就後悔，說：「這災可以免了。」

7:4 主耶和華又指示我一件事：他命火來懲罰以色列，火就吞滅深淵，險些將地燒滅。

7:5 我就說：「主耶和華啊，求你止息；因為雅各微弱，他怎能站立得住呢？」

7:6 耶和華就後悔，說：「這災也可免了。」

7:7 他又指示我一件事：有一道牆是按準繩建築的，主手拿準繩站在其上。

7:8 耶和華對我說：「阿摩司啊，你看見甚麼？」我說：「看見準繩。」主說：「我要吊起準繩在我民以色列中，我必不再寬恕他們。

7:9 以撒的邱壇必然淒涼，以色列的聖所必然荒廢。我必興起，用刀攻擊耶羅波安的家。」

1 This is what the Lord God showed me:behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,

"O Lord God, please forgive!

 How can Jacob stand?

He is so small!"

3 The Lord relented concerning this:

"It shall not be," said the Lord.

4 This is what the Lord God showed me:behold, the Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. 5 Then I said,

"O Lord God, please cease!

 How can Jacob stand?

He is so small!"

6 The Lord relented concerning this:

"This also shall not be," said the Lord God.

7 This is what he showed me:behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said,

"Behold, I am setting a plumb line

in the midst of my people Israel;

 I will never again pass by them;

9 the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,

and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,

and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."

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    在這裡看見先知阿摩司如同摩西一般，在上帝面前為以色列人求平安。而前兩次，上帝都允准。可是第三次，實在是太嚴重了，他連求都不敢求，只能靜靜地聽，因為以色列人實在是悖逆，上帝有權做祂要做的事，人無法阻擋的！

    這也給我們屬乎基督的人很大的警戒，我們要求上帝賜福，必須靠耶穌督，不是我們自己想要就有，若不是上帝在基督裡恩待我們，拯救我們，四我們兒女的權柄，我們怎能在上帝面前求呢！

    所以，我們每當奉主耶穌的名求的時候，我們就要思想耶穌基督的恩典，感謝祂的拯救，將榮耀歸給祂，並且鑒察我們的言行，存敬畏的心，來到上帝的面前！因為我們本不配，完全是上帝的慈愛與憐憫，才有現在！

阿摩司書6:8-14

6:8 主耶和華萬軍之上帝指著自己起誓說，我憎惡雅各的榮華，厭棄他的宮殿；因此我必將城和其中所有的都交付敵人。

6:9 那時，若在一房之內剩下十個人，也都必死。

6:10 死人的伯叔，就是燒他屍首的，要將這屍首搬到房外，問房屋內間的人說：「你那裡還有人沒有？」他必說：「沒有」；又說：「不要作聲，因為我們不可提耶和華的名。」

6:11 看哪，耶和華出令，大房就被攻破，小屋就被打裂。

6:12 馬豈能在崖石上奔跑？人豈能在那裡用牛耕種呢？你們卻使公平變為苦膽，使公義的果子變為茵蔯。

6:13 你們喜愛虛浮的事，自誇說，我們不是憑自己的力量取了角嗎？

6:14 耶和華萬軍之上帝說：，以色列家啊，我必興起一國攻擊你們；他們必欺壓你們，從哈馬口直到亞拉巴的河。

The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares 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."

9 And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. 10 And when one's relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, "Is there still anyone with you?" he shall say, "No"; and he shall say, "Silence! We must not mention the name of the Lord."

For behold, the Lord commands,

and the great house shall be struck down into fragments,

and the little house into bits.

12 Do horses run on rocks?

Does one plow there with oxen?

 But you have turned justice into poison

 and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood —

13 you who rejoice in Lo- debar,

who say, "Have we not by our own strength

captured Karnaim for ourselves?"

14 "For behold, I will raise up against you a nation,

O house of Israel," declares the Lord, the God of hosts;

"and they shall oppress you from Lebo- hamath

to the Brook of the Arabah."

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    上帝再一次指謫人的自誇和好逸惡勞之惡行，希望人能以公平和公義互相對待！不要破壞公平和公義，人就永無安寧之日！

阿摩司書6章

       阿摩司書6:1-7   ,   阿摩司書6:8-14  ,

阿摩司書6:1-7

6:1 國為列國之首，人最著名，且為以色列家所歸向，在錫安和撒馬利亞山安逸無慮的，有禍了！

6:2 你們要過到甲尼察看，從那裡往大城哈馬去，又下到非利士人的迦特。看那些比你們的國還強嗎？境界比你們的境界還寬嗎？

6:3 你們以為降禍的日子還遠，坐在位上盡行強暴（或譯：行強暴使審判臨近）。

6:4 你們躺臥在象牙床上，舒身在榻上，吃群中的羊羔，棚裡的牛犢；

6:5 彈琴鼓瑟，唱消閑的歌曲，為自己製造樂器，如同大衛所造的；

6:6 以大碗喝酒，用上等的油抹身，卻不為約瑟的苦難擔憂。

6:7 所以這些人必在被擄的人中首先被擄，舒身的人荒宴之樂必消滅了。

“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 comes!

  Pass over to Calneh, and see,

and from there go to Hamath the great;

then go down to Gath of the Philistines.

Are you better than these kingdoms?

Or is their territory greater than your territory,

  O you who put far away the day of disaster

and bring near the seat of violence?

  “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory

and stretch themselves out on their couches,

and eat lambs from the flock

and calves from the midst of the stall,

  who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp

and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,

  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 out shall pass away.”

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    先知在此警告那些為首的人，不要以為日子永遠是安逸的，不要亦為自己享受一切的好處，就心高氣傲，自以為是！因為上帝不喜悅人，自己建立權柄，不倚靠上帝，不敬畏上帝，欺壓別人。

    猶太人自以為上帝的選民，自以為比別國優秀，常常看不起其他國家。然而，上帝卻是阻擋驕傲的仁和驕傲的國，讓人在上帝面前心存謙卑。

    然而真正謙卑的人士高舉上帝，對上帝心存感恩的人，知道自己不能，要靠上帝才能。

阿摩司書5:18-27

5:18 想望耶和華日子來到的有禍了！你們為何想望耶和華的日子呢？那日黑暗沒有光明，

5:19 景況好像人躲避獅子又遇見熊，或是進房屋以手靠牆，就被蛇咬。

5:20 耶和華的日子不是黑暗沒有光明嗎？不是幽暗毫無光輝嗎？

5:21 我厭惡你們的節期，也不喜悅你們的嚴肅會。

5:22 你們雖然向我獻燔祭和素祭，我卻不悅納，也不顧你們用肥畜獻的平安祭；

5:23 要使你們歌唱的聲音遠離我，因為我不聽你們彈琴的響聲。

5:24 惟願公平如大水滾滾，使公義如江河滔滔。

5:25 「以色列家啊，你們在曠野四十年，豈是將祭物和供物獻給我呢？

5:26 你們抬著為自己所造之摩洛的帳幕和偶像的龕，並你們的神星。

5:27 所以我要把你們擄到大馬士革以外。」這是耶和華、名為萬軍之上帝說的。

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!

Why would you have the day of the Lord?

 It is darkness, and not light,

19 as if a man fled from a lion,

and a bear met him,

or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,

and a serpent bit him.

20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,

and gloom with no brightness in it?

21 "I hate, I despise your feasts,

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

I will not look upon them.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;

to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever- flowing stream.

25 "Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star- god—your images that you made for yourselves, 27 and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

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    上帝對以色列人的要求就是「惟願公平如大水滾滾，使公義如江河滔滔」。也因此，光有宗教的外表，沒有敬虔的實際，這樣的信仰不是上帝所喜悅，這也是先知要警告以色列人的。

    這也讓我們看見一個重要的真理：要有公平與公義，才有真正的平安！因為人與人之間有虧欠，人與上帝之間有虧欠，就沒有真正的平安，沒有平安就充滿憤怒，就永遠沒有安息。這是因為罪進入人的生命，所造成的結果。

    而耶穌基督來的目的就是為「人與人之間有虧欠，人與上帝之間有虧欠」，來補足，使人可以脫離罪惡，享受上帝同在，並領受兒女地位與實際的生命，這就是永生！